Posts
6 years ago
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Giveaway
Head on over to Pitter Patter Art and enter for a giveaway for an awesome key fob! She also has a ton of other customized things that are adorable!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Spring Cleaning
Well, I guess it should be called "summer cleaning". Chris and I decided to take advantage of his three day weekend and clean like crazy people. Now, we did spend some good family time together in between the cleaning. We went to the pool on Saturday. The boys had a blast! So far, Chris and I have cleaned all of our drawers, cabinets, and closets downstairs. I have to clean out the pantry today. I figured that was something I could do without Chris here since I know what we should keep and what we should give away.
I cleaned out the boy's bedroom closet which was a crazy task and cleaned my side of our bedroom closet. All of the boy's clothes are now in the dresser in their closet. The other dresser/changing table is completely empty now and moved into the nursery along with the crib and my grandfather's rocking chair. It is all ready for our sweet baby coming in December. Walking into that room is so fun! I can already picture a sweet little one sleeping in the crib. Chris put up a new book shelf in our bedroom. We had SO many books just sitting around our house with no home. It feels so great to have a spot for them now and it looks really nice in our room!
All we have left to do is put the boy's daybed back together. They are currently sleeping on their mattresses on the floor. And, we have to fix the changing table/dresser because one of the drawers in broken. Tonight, poor Chris is tackling all of that and the attic. He is going to take the 5+ bags of clothes into the attic and go through everything to see if there are things to give away.
It feels SO nice to clean and get rid of things! I feel like we have a HUGE head start on getting our house ready for a third child.
I cleaned out the boy's bedroom closet which was a crazy task and cleaned my side of our bedroom closet. All of the boy's clothes are now in the dresser in their closet. The other dresser/changing table is completely empty now and moved into the nursery along with the crib and my grandfather's rocking chair. It is all ready for our sweet baby coming in December. Walking into that room is so fun! I can already picture a sweet little one sleeping in the crib. Chris put up a new book shelf in our bedroom. We had SO many books just sitting around our house with no home. It feels so great to have a spot for them now and it looks really nice in our room!
All we have left to do is put the boy's daybed back together. They are currently sleeping on their mattresses on the floor. And, we have to fix the changing table/dresser because one of the drawers in broken. Tonight, poor Chris is tackling all of that and the attic. He is going to take the 5+ bags of clothes into the attic and go through everything to see if there are things to give away.
It feels SO nice to clean and get rid of things! I feel like we have a HUGE head start on getting our house ready for a third child.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Soon to be family of five...
So, most of you already know this but I wanted to post it on here...we're PREGNANT!! We are SO SO excited! We've been trying for 13 months! I will be nine weeks this Friday. I am due on December 31st. I wish it was going to be a New Year's baby! My parents and my sister/brother-in-law's anniversaries are on New Year's Eve. However, I get induced about a week and a half before my due date so this won't happen. I have a blood clotting disorder called Factor V Leiden. So, during all my pregnancies I have to take a blood thinner. Since I am pregnant, I can't take the pills because of the baby. So, I have to take two shots a day in my belly. Usually I take Heparin, but this time they have me on Lovinox. I love Lovinox because they are pre-filled syringes and Heparin is not! Lovinox saves me a lot of time. Granted it cost me $30 for a 60 day supply where Heparin is free but it is totally worth it! And, no, after two pregnancies I still don't give them to myself. I love having a doctor as a husband : ).
So far, this pregnancy has been a ton better than my other two. I threw up a lot with Bryce and Kael. I've only thrown up twice so far. I am just nauseous from the time I get up to the time I go to bed. I will take that over vomiting anytime! I am hoping it end soon though.
So, if my calculations are right and if they have an opening on this day, I will be induced either December 20th or 21st. I'm going to really try to get booked on the 20that so Chris will be home for more time after the baby is born. He gets either Christmas week off or New Year's week. We like him to have New Year's week off, but this year we are going to ask for Christmas week since I will be induced that week. So, if I can get induced on the 20th, he will have six days off after the baby is born.
We have a boy name picked out...Cohen. We have it narrowed down to three girl names. There is a poll to the right for you to go and vote for your favorite. There is no guarantee that I will use the most popular : ). It is just for fun!
So far, this pregnancy has been a ton better than my other two. I threw up a lot with Bryce and Kael. I've only thrown up twice so far. I am just nauseous from the time I get up to the time I go to bed. I will take that over vomiting anytime! I am hoping it end soon though.
So, if my calculations are right and if they have an opening on this day, I will be induced either December 20th or 21st. I'm going to really try to get booked on the 20that so Chris will be home for more time after the baby is born. He gets either Christmas week off or New Year's week. We like him to have New Year's week off, but this year we are going to ask for Christmas week since I will be induced that week. So, if I can get induced on the 20th, he will have six days off after the baby is born.
We have a boy name picked out...Cohen. We have it narrowed down to three girl names. There is a poll to the right for you to go and vote for your favorite. There is no guarantee that I will use the most popular : ). It is just for fun!
Friday, April 16, 2010
End of the journey
Well, I think we have reached the end of the journey of medical tests for Kael. All of Kael's biopsies came back NORMAL and I am praising God for that!!! Chris was the doctor that got to look at them which I think is so cool. We are extremely happy that Kael has no other issues and that he will be able to eat whatever he wants! I haven't actually spoken with his GI doctor but I don't think there will be any more investigation. It is my understanding that since all of his biopsies are normal, then his stomach issues are due to his IgA deficiency. I am hoping that when I do speak with the doctor that he will be able to suggest some type of medicine, vitamins, etc. that might help Kael. He is almost 2 and potty training is right around the corner which could be difficult in his current state : ). Thank you all so much for the prayers for him!!
There is no update on me yet. I have an appointment with a new doctor next Wednesday. I was not satisfied with the other doctor that I went to the last time. I waited for an hour and a half and he was only in the room for about 3 or 4 minutes and was not listening to my questions and treated me like my concerns were silly. My concerns might be silly to him but he should still look into them since I am the patient. He just wanted to write me a prescription for a fertility drug and get me out the door. I'm not quite ready to have a higher risk of multiples. I am praying that the practice that I am going to on Wednesday is the right one. There are only a few to choose from that take my insurance and deliver at the hospital that I like. Chris and I are praying about our options. God is good and faithful.
Meanwhile, both of the boy's birthdays are coming up in a few weeks. I am planning an airplane party for them on the same day. I figure this might be the last year I can get away with them sharing a party. I can't believe they will be 4 and 2 in just a few weeks. Next year, this time, I will be registering Bryce for kindergarten. CRAZY! I feel so blessed to be their mom. God is so wonderful.
There is no update on me yet. I have an appointment with a new doctor next Wednesday. I was not satisfied with the other doctor that I went to the last time. I waited for an hour and a half and he was only in the room for about 3 or 4 minutes and was not listening to my questions and treated me like my concerns were silly. My concerns might be silly to him but he should still look into them since I am the patient. He just wanted to write me a prescription for a fertility drug and get me out the door. I'm not quite ready to have a higher risk of multiples. I am praying that the practice that I am going to on Wednesday is the right one. There are only a few to choose from that take my insurance and deliver at the hospital that I like. Chris and I are praying about our options. God is good and faithful.
Meanwhile, both of the boy's birthdays are coming up in a few weeks. I am planning an airplane party for them on the same day. I figure this might be the last year I can get away with them sharing a party. I can't believe they will be 4 and 2 in just a few weeks. Next year, this time, I will be registering Bryce for kindergarten. CRAZY! I feel so blessed to be their mom. God is so wonderful.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Kael's endoscopy
Kael has an endoscopy scheduled for Monday at 12:45. They are going to make sure that it is the IgA deficiency that is causing his diarrhea. I can't really get deep into details because I don't understand it all but since he has the IgA deficiency it somehow effects the blood test for celiac disease. Apparently, the blood test for celiac disease isn't really accurate to begin with so it is a double whammy for Kael. So, the main reason for his endoscopy is to rule out celiac disease. I think they will be checking for a few other things while they are in there. If the biopsy shows that he is not allergic to gluten, then that will probably mean that his loose stools are from his IgA deficiency and there is no solution for that.
I'm not nervous at all right now about the procedure. I am sure as they are rolling him back to the room the anxiety will come. The procedure is something they do a lot so I'm not worried about that part at all. It is the anesthesia that is the scary part and the waking up from the anesthesia that is not fun (lots of confusion and crying). We've already been through Bryce being put to sleep so we know the routine and know what to expect. I am so glad they are doing the procedure. I don't want him to have to go through it but I want to make sure IgA deficiency is the answer and that there isn't something else going on. God is faithful and good.
The most amazing thing about this whole thing is that Chris is going to be one of the doctors reading the biopsy on Tuesday. He is not on that service but talked to the doctor that is and asked if he would hold Kael's biopsy to the side until Chris could make it down there. I know my husband is just in residency but, to me, he is the best at what he does. I completely trust his eyes and am so glad that he will be the one reading it!!
I'm not nervous at all right now about the procedure. I am sure as they are rolling him back to the room the anxiety will come. The procedure is something they do a lot so I'm not worried about that part at all. It is the anesthesia that is the scary part and the waking up from the anesthesia that is not fun (lots of confusion and crying). We've already been through Bryce being put to sleep so we know the routine and know what to expect. I am so glad they are doing the procedure. I don't want him to have to go through it but I want to make sure IgA deficiency is the answer and that there isn't something else going on. God is faithful and good.
The most amazing thing about this whole thing is that Chris is going to be one of the doctors reading the biopsy on Tuesday. He is not on that service but talked to the doctor that is and asked if he would hold Kael's biopsy to the side until Chris could make it down there. I know my husband is just in residency but, to me, he is the best at what he does. I completely trust his eyes and am so glad that he will be the one reading it!!
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Medical Updates from the Alley house
Hello all! So, Kael and I got some of our blood work back this week and I thought I would share it with you. If you are in the medical field, don't judge my explanations ; ). This is just how it makes sense in my head...haha. Here goes...
Kael had blood work done to test his levels for his Immunoglobulin A or IgA (one of the many that help us fight infections), Celiac disease, and major food allergies. HE ISN'T ALLERGIC TO MILK OR SOY...WOOHOO!! His test for Celiac disease was negative. However, they came back showing that he has ZERO IgA. The normal range is 12-73. This is fairly common. One in 600 people have it. A lot of people have it and don't know it. However, it absolutely explains all of Kael's respiratory, skin, and gastrointestinal issues. It is also great to know he has it in case he ever has to be given blood. Giving blood that is full of IgA to someone that has no IgA can cause serious and sometimes fatal reactions. Praise the Lord that we know!!!
The next step is to make sure that he doesn't have any other Immunoglobulin deficiencies. They are also going to take more stool samples to rule out and parasites that could be attacking his system. After that, we will talk about doing a scope. It is my understanding that doing a scope is a pretty likely outcome. We will see. I will keep you all updated. I am SO SO glad to be getting somewhere! And, I'm so excited that he can eat whatever he wants even if it doesn't last but a couple of weeks : )!
As for me, I am going to try to keep this short. My thyroid test came back normal. However, my progesterone level is a 6. It should be above a 10. This is why we're having trouble getting pregnant. My doctor is tracking my cycles and Chris thinks he will probably test me for PCOS and hyperinsulinemia. PCOS would explain why I have been busting my tail working out for the last 4 months and haven't lost any weight. I also have quite a few other symptoms that are associated with PCOS. This is all speculation, of course. The only concern I have is about the medications to help this are ones that I can't take. I have Factor V which is a disorder that causes my blood to clot more easily. The medications used to help with PCOS also increase the risk of blood clots. Of course, there may be other meds that we don't know about. We will see. I am sure I will be having another appointment with my doctor soon.
So, there you go. I am praising God today for answers and wonderful doctors that are really working to get to the roots of the problems. We will just take it one thing at a time. None of these problems are crazy serious so please don't think that this is me complaining or wanting pity. I just wanted to give you all an update. We are very blessed!!
Kael had blood work done to test his levels for his Immunoglobulin A or IgA (one of the many that help us fight infections), Celiac disease, and major food allergies. HE ISN'T ALLERGIC TO MILK OR SOY...WOOHOO!! His test for Celiac disease was negative. However, they came back showing that he has ZERO IgA. The normal range is 12-73. This is fairly common. One in 600 people have it. A lot of people have it and don't know it. However, it absolutely explains all of Kael's respiratory, skin, and gastrointestinal issues. It is also great to know he has it in case he ever has to be given blood. Giving blood that is full of IgA to someone that has no IgA can cause serious and sometimes fatal reactions. Praise the Lord that we know!!!
The next step is to make sure that he doesn't have any other Immunoglobulin deficiencies. They are also going to take more stool samples to rule out and parasites that could be attacking his system. After that, we will talk about doing a scope. It is my understanding that doing a scope is a pretty likely outcome. We will see. I will keep you all updated. I am SO SO glad to be getting somewhere! And, I'm so excited that he can eat whatever he wants even if it doesn't last but a couple of weeks : )!
As for me, I am going to try to keep this short. My thyroid test came back normal. However, my progesterone level is a 6. It should be above a 10. This is why we're having trouble getting pregnant. My doctor is tracking my cycles and Chris thinks he will probably test me for PCOS and hyperinsulinemia. PCOS would explain why I have been busting my tail working out for the last 4 months and haven't lost any weight. I also have quite a few other symptoms that are associated with PCOS. This is all speculation, of course. The only concern I have is about the medications to help this are ones that I can't take. I have Factor V which is a disorder that causes my blood to clot more easily. The medications used to help with PCOS also increase the risk of blood clots. Of course, there may be other meds that we don't know about. We will see. I am sure I will be having another appointment with my doctor soon.
So, there you go. I am praising God today for answers and wonderful doctors that are really working to get to the roots of the problems. We will just take it one thing at a time. None of these problems are crazy serious so please don't think that this is me complaining or wanting pity. I just wanted to give you all an update. We are very blessed!!
Monday, March 8, 2010
Random List
I'm going to do a list today of updates or just neat things that have happened over the last couple of weeks. Here we go...
1. Chris and I made an executive decision to let Kael eat dairy. His stomach is still completely messed up so we don't see the point in doing a dairy free diet when it does not seem to help him. We'll see how it goes. It was nice grocery shopping last night and not having to check labels. Bryce said as I was giving him "cow's milk yogurt" as he calls it..."Leeeeeet's see if he gets sick. I think it's gonna make him sick. I think he's gonna cough." Haha!
2. Church at the Summit West Club campus yesterday was awesome! Clayton King brought an amazing message from the word and I got to serve with some awesome people at Starting Point. Shannon did a great job! Everything ran really smooth for our first reception style Starting Point session.
3. I go for blood work on Friday to get my progesterone levels checked to see if that is contributing to us not getting pregnant. I'm not anxious or worrried. I have two beautiful boys that I am blessed with. God has really given me a patience with this just in the last week. He is so good!
4. We go to the GI doctor for Kael THIS wednesday! I am pumped about getting some answers in that situation.
5. I started my community service this last week. I am working at a thrift store called Cause for Paws. It supports the local animal shelters. It is sort of dirty work but I would much rather be doing that than picking up trash! I have been greatly humbled by this situation.
6. Just in the last couple of months, I have gotten an extreme passion for our neighborhood. I know, it should have been extreme all along but I'm just being honest. I think it has a lot to do with the girl's Dgroup that I am in now and with the current series we are doing at The Summit in Ephesians. There are a few tools that are in the works that will aid us with building relationships with our neighbors and showing them the love of Christ. We already have great relationships with quite a few of them. I am really excited about these and will tell you more about them later!
7. Chris and I leave on the 19th to go to DC with NO kids! That's right...I said NO kids! I love my boys but Chris and I are PUMPED about getting to spend some alone time together. AND, it is being paid for by his work since he will attending a Pathology Conference. He is submitting a poster presentation in a the pathology competition.
8. Pepperidge Farm 7 Grain Deli Rounds are AWESOME!! You must try them! I got them at Walmart. Put a piece of turkey, some mayo, and a slice of meunster cheese and you got a low calorie, YUMMY lunch.
9. Kael has started biting. He has only done it to Bryce but I fear it is only a matter of time before he gets another child in the nursery. Ugh. I have no experience with this so wasn't really sure how to handle it at first. Then, I decided that spanking works for every other disobedient thing so I am going to go that route first. I didn't spank him the first couple of times. But, I feel like if he understands (which he does) that he is not supposed to bite then a spanking is in order. Let me know your thoughts. I may or may not take the advice ; ).
10. My car is finally fixed and I am SO grateful. You don't even know. It has been a long road of no license and then broken car. It is SO nice to have both of them back now!
1. Chris and I made an executive decision to let Kael eat dairy. His stomach is still completely messed up so we don't see the point in doing a dairy free diet when it does not seem to help him. We'll see how it goes. It was nice grocery shopping last night and not having to check labels. Bryce said as I was giving him "cow's milk yogurt" as he calls it..."Leeeeeet's see if he gets sick. I think it's gonna make him sick. I think he's gonna cough." Haha!
2. Church at the Summit West Club campus yesterday was awesome! Clayton King brought an amazing message from the word and I got to serve with some awesome people at Starting Point. Shannon did a great job! Everything ran really smooth for our first reception style Starting Point session.
3. I go for blood work on Friday to get my progesterone levels checked to see if that is contributing to us not getting pregnant. I'm not anxious or worrried. I have two beautiful boys that I am blessed with. God has really given me a patience with this just in the last week. He is so good!
4. We go to the GI doctor for Kael THIS wednesday! I am pumped about getting some answers in that situation.
5. I started my community service this last week. I am working at a thrift store called Cause for Paws. It supports the local animal shelters. It is sort of dirty work but I would much rather be doing that than picking up trash! I have been greatly humbled by this situation.
6. Just in the last couple of months, I have gotten an extreme passion for our neighborhood. I know, it should have been extreme all along but I'm just being honest. I think it has a lot to do with the girl's Dgroup that I am in now and with the current series we are doing at The Summit in Ephesians. There are a few tools that are in the works that will aid us with building relationships with our neighbors and showing them the love of Christ. We already have great relationships with quite a few of them. I am really excited about these and will tell you more about them later!
7. Chris and I leave on the 19th to go to DC with NO kids! That's right...I said NO kids! I love my boys but Chris and I are PUMPED about getting to spend some alone time together. AND, it is being paid for by his work since he will attending a Pathology Conference. He is submitting a poster presentation in a the pathology competition.
8. Pepperidge Farm 7 Grain Deli Rounds are AWESOME!! You must try them! I got them at Walmart. Put a piece of turkey, some mayo, and a slice of meunster cheese and you got a low calorie, YUMMY lunch.
9. Kael has started biting. He has only done it to Bryce but I fear it is only a matter of time before he gets another child in the nursery. Ugh. I have no experience with this so wasn't really sure how to handle it at first. Then, I decided that spanking works for every other disobedient thing so I am going to go that route first. I didn't spank him the first couple of times. But, I feel like if he understands (which he does) that he is not supposed to bite then a spanking is in order. Let me know your thoughts. I may or may not take the advice ; ).
10. My car is finally fixed and I am SO grateful. You don't even know. It has been a long road of no license and then broken car. It is SO nice to have both of them back now!
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Sweet Valentine
Chris and I don't ever do anything much for Valentine's Day. Normally, we just use it as an excuse to get a date night. We will be going to see "Valentine's Day" on Monday since Chris is on call this weekend. I am so excited about his movie! This year Chris had something he said he wanted to do for me. I, of course, responded, "We never spend money on each other on Valentine's Day". He told me it was only going to cost about $5. So, I decided we should start a new $5 Vday tradition. I went shopping today and came home to the most wonderful surprise. My boys had been working very hard. I am so blessed.
I LOVE strawberry iced from Dunkin' Donuts. There was another one in the box but I had already eaten it...hehe. We never buy them but they are my fav. What a treat!
My sweet Kael colored his little heart out...love him.
Wow. This one really got me...tears and all. Of course, all of these things aren't true, but still sweet ;0).
Bryce was SO proud of himself for this! He put all the stickers on by himself. He kept saying "Happy Birthday, Mom. Do you like your Valentine's we made?".
I LOVE strawberry iced from Dunkin' Donuts. There was another one in the box but I had already eaten it...hehe. We never buy them but they are my fav. What a treat!
My sweet Kael colored his little heart out...love him.
Wow. This one really got me...tears and all. Of course, all of these things aren't true, but still sweet ;0).
Bryce was SO proud of himself for this! He put all the stickers on by himself. He kept saying "Happy Birthday, Mom. Do you like your Valentine's we made?".
Thursday, February 11, 2010
And The Journey Continues
Well, this past Wednesday was supposed to be my last court date. My lawyer assured me that if I got my license back before we went before the judge that the judge would more than likely dismiss my case. Well, that did not happen. He continued my case until March 16th and will consider dismissing my case pending I complete 20 hours of community service. I walked out of the court room extremely upset and very defeated. It really isn't the hours of community service (well, it is a little but I'll go into why in a minute) it is the fact that it was never mentioned to me as an option. I am a planner. I want to know all the possible outcomes. I just wish my lawyer would have let me know that it was a possibility. She didn't even act surprised. She said, "Man. That's a bummer." Really?
There is only one other thing that bothers me a little. I have done 2 weeks of inpatient rehab, 60 hours of group counseling, and attended 4 AA meetings. That is a lot of stuff. In the eyes of the court, what is the purpose and how will doing 20 hours of community service help me "recover"?
I love to serve. So, the act of the community service is exciting to me. However, it is the humilation that comes along with the reason that I am doing the community service that I have to deal with. I know I shouldn't feel this way but, for now, I do. I am praying that God will take this feeling away from me before I start or at least after the first time.
On Wedneday when we got back home, I sat down to do my quiet time. I had missed my quiet time the day before. One of the chapters I read was Romans 12. Romans 12:12 says "rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, and be constant in prayer". God is so good. He knew that I need to hear that. I just meditated on that verse for the rest of the day and the next. I am more at peace about continuing this journey.
Now, I just have to get my community service set up. I am really praying (and would love for you to) that they allow me to choose where I serve. Tori Young (most of you know her) is head of junior volunteers at Duke Hospital. She said she would be more than happy to set me up with something. This would totally take care of the humiliation issue. We will see. I will keep you updated.
Also, please pray for wherever I serve. I pray that I will be able to build relationships with people and show them the love of Christ. I pray that God will recieve all the glory from all of this.
There is only one other thing that bothers me a little. I have done 2 weeks of inpatient rehab, 60 hours of group counseling, and attended 4 AA meetings. That is a lot of stuff. In the eyes of the court, what is the purpose and how will doing 20 hours of community service help me "recover"?
I love to serve. So, the act of the community service is exciting to me. However, it is the humilation that comes along with the reason that I am doing the community service that I have to deal with. I know I shouldn't feel this way but, for now, I do. I am praying that God will take this feeling away from me before I start or at least after the first time.
On Wedneday when we got back home, I sat down to do my quiet time. I had missed my quiet time the day before. One of the chapters I read was Romans 12. Romans 12:12 says "rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, and be constant in prayer". God is so good. He knew that I need to hear that. I just meditated on that verse for the rest of the day and the next. I am more at peace about continuing this journey.
Now, I just have to get my community service set up. I am really praying (and would love for you to) that they allow me to choose where I serve. Tori Young (most of you know her) is head of junior volunteers at Duke Hospital. She said she would be more than happy to set me up with something. This would totally take care of the humiliation issue. We will see. I will keep you updated.
Also, please pray for wherever I serve. I pray that I will be able to build relationships with people and show them the love of Christ. I pray that God will recieve all the glory from all of this.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
The Day Has Arrived!!
I just got the phone call...my 508 has been approved so I can go and get my LICENSE!!!! WOOHOO!!! Well, I will definitely write more about this later but I need to go get ready for our girl's disciple group tonight. Guess what? Next week I can drive myself : )!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Dairy Free
I have been meaning to do a post like this on my blog for a while now. My son is allergic to dairy products. We found out when he was around 4 or 5 months old (I can never keep up with dates). I was nursing him, so I had to cut all dairy and soy out of my diet. At the time, I was overwhelmed with all of it but was also willing to do anything to make him feel better and help improve his eczema. Now, we have introduced soy to him and he is doing great with it...Praise the Lord. However, we tried him on dairy when he was a year old and it was not good. He will be 2 in May and I am afraid to say that it will be a while before he grows out of his dairy allergy (if at all).
Well, recently a friend of mine found out that she has to go on a dairy free diet because of her sweet baby girl. So, that is the main reason that I am doing this post. I wanted to give her some information on cooking and eating out...dairy free. I figure I might as well post it for everyone just in case anyone else is going through this. Let me know if you have any questions about any other items or things. I might know the answer and just didn't post it on here. However, I might not know the answer but would be HAPPY to research it for you. It can be overwhelming at first.
Cooking meals at home is very easy. EVOO, soy milk, and Smart Balance Light (w/ EVOO or flaxseed) will become your friends. You can make just about any recipe with these three ingredients (unless it is something that contains cheese or creamed soups). I put soy milk in a lot of stuff from pancakes to mashed potatoes and have great results with it! Watch out for chicken and beef bouillon cubes. They contain milk (whey). So, always use canned chicken or beef broth. You will get SO good at reading labels that you just have to look at the label for a couple of seconds check for dairy. The wonderful thing about labels now is that most of them announce in bold letters if there is dairy in them. However, you should always double check for "hidden" dairy ingredients. If I am making pasta or a chicken dish that contains cheese, I will just take out some pasta and chicken (before adding dairy item) and put a dairy free sauce with it to serve it to Kael.
Here is a wonderful little cheat sheet that lists all of the "hidden" dairy ingredients AND it prints out on a business card size so that you can carry it in your purse or pocket...awesome!
This is also another favorite website of mine for dairy free information and recipes. However, their list of restaurant items that are dairy free are NOT always correct. So, I always go to the individual restaurant's website to double check.
Dairy free grocery store list: (These are items that you can find in your normal grocery store. There is a LOT more...this is just a short list)
Smart Balance Light (either w/ olive oil or flaxseed)
Fleischmann's Light Margarine sticks
Oreos : )
Saltine crackers (Most crackers don't have dairy in them unless they are some kind of cheese or butter crackers. Except goldfish...ALL flavors of goldfish contain dairy.)
Wheat thins
Graham crackers
Teddy Grams
Soy yogurt
Potato chips and pretzels of course (as long as they aren't cheese flavored)
Duncan Hines brand of cake/brownie mix/frostings (even buttercream)
Orville Redenbacher's Simply Salted microwave popcorn
Arnold's sandwich bread (I was so excited when I found this. It is only $2 compared to the $4 and $5 that I was spending at Earth Fare. Now, I make my own bread which is much cheaper, but Arnold's is nice to have as a back up.)
Ghirardellis Semi-sweet and dark chocolate chips Also, their baking bars and dark chocolate candy bars do not contain milk. This is their allergy list.
Dairy Free restaurant food list (Of course, ordered with no cheese if that applies and this is also not a complete list)
McDonald's: Quarter pounder, Southern style chicken sandwich ordered on either a honey wheat roll or sesame bun ( I love honey wheat roll with this), NO fries
Wendy's: Chicken nuggets and fries!
Chick-fil-a: NO meat, but you can eat their fries
Burger King: Chicken fries, whopper, french fries
Subway: any regular sub without cheese
Taco Bell: Spicy chicken soft taco or any fresco menu item
Little Caesar's: You can actually eat there pizza dough and sauce so just order a pizza with only veggies and no cheese...ugh ; ). Also, you can eat the crazy bread ordered with NO parmesan.
Zaxby's: fries
Red Robin: Burger and fries
Chili's: This is not a good choice : ). You can eat a burger without the bun and no fries.
Barberito's (This is for you, Faith. I asked the Osbolt's.): You can totally eat a burrito just no cheese or dressing on it.
Hardee's: You can have grilled chicken or burger patty on a honey wheat bun.
Panera: Most of their sandwich bread (wheat, white) is dairy free so you can order a sandwich with no cheese.
Well, this is all for now. I will post more in the comments as I think of things. Let me know if anyone has specific restaurants, food items, etc. that you are wondering about!!
Well, recently a friend of mine found out that she has to go on a dairy free diet because of her sweet baby girl. So, that is the main reason that I am doing this post. I wanted to give her some information on cooking and eating out...dairy free. I figure I might as well post it for everyone just in case anyone else is going through this. Let me know if you have any questions about any other items or things. I might know the answer and just didn't post it on here. However, I might not know the answer but would be HAPPY to research it for you. It can be overwhelming at first.
Cooking meals at home is very easy. EVOO, soy milk, and Smart Balance Light (w/ EVOO or flaxseed) will become your friends. You can make just about any recipe with these three ingredients (unless it is something that contains cheese or creamed soups). I put soy milk in a lot of stuff from pancakes to mashed potatoes and have great results with it! Watch out for chicken and beef bouillon cubes. They contain milk (whey). So, always use canned chicken or beef broth. You will get SO good at reading labels that you just have to look at the label for a couple of seconds check for dairy. The wonderful thing about labels now is that most of them announce in bold letters if there is dairy in them. However, you should always double check for "hidden" dairy ingredients. If I am making pasta or a chicken dish that contains cheese, I will just take out some pasta and chicken (before adding dairy item) and put a dairy free sauce with it to serve it to Kael.
Here is a wonderful little cheat sheet that lists all of the "hidden" dairy ingredients AND it prints out on a business card size so that you can carry it in your purse or pocket...awesome!
This is also another favorite website of mine for dairy free information and recipes. However, their list of restaurant items that are dairy free are NOT always correct. So, I always go to the individual restaurant's website to double check.
Dairy free grocery store list: (These are items that you can find in your normal grocery store. There is a LOT more...this is just a short list)
Smart Balance Light (either w/ olive oil or flaxseed)
Fleischmann's Light Margarine sticks
Oreos : )
Saltine crackers (Most crackers don't have dairy in them unless they are some kind of cheese or butter crackers. Except goldfish...ALL flavors of goldfish contain dairy.)
Wheat thins
Graham crackers
Teddy Grams
Soy yogurt
Potato chips and pretzels of course (as long as they aren't cheese flavored)
Duncan Hines brand of cake/brownie mix/frostings (even buttercream)
Orville Redenbacher's Simply Salted microwave popcorn
Arnold's sandwich bread (I was so excited when I found this. It is only $2 compared to the $4 and $5 that I was spending at Earth Fare. Now, I make my own bread which is much cheaper, but Arnold's is nice to have as a back up.)
Ghirardellis Semi-sweet and dark chocolate chips Also, their baking bars and dark chocolate candy bars do not contain milk. This is their allergy list.
Dairy Free restaurant food list (Of course, ordered with no cheese if that applies and this is also not a complete list)
McDonald's: Quarter pounder, Southern style chicken sandwich ordered on either a honey wheat roll or sesame bun ( I love honey wheat roll with this), NO fries
Wendy's: Chicken nuggets and fries!
Chick-fil-a: NO meat, but you can eat their fries
Burger King: Chicken fries, whopper, french fries
Subway: any regular sub without cheese
Taco Bell: Spicy chicken soft taco or any fresco menu item
Little Caesar's: You can actually eat there pizza dough and sauce so just order a pizza with only veggies and no cheese...ugh ; ). Also, you can eat the crazy bread ordered with NO parmesan.
Zaxby's: fries
Red Robin: Burger and fries
Chili's: This is not a good choice : ). You can eat a burger without the bun and no fries.
Barberito's (This is for you, Faith. I asked the Osbolt's.): You can totally eat a burrito just no cheese or dressing on it.
Hardee's: You can have grilled chicken or burger patty on a honey wheat bun.
Panera: Most of their sandwich bread (wheat, white) is dairy free so you can order a sandwich with no cheese.
Well, this is all for now. I will post more in the comments as I think of things. Let me know if anyone has specific restaurants, food items, etc. that you are wondering about!!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Iron Sharpens Iron...
I am so excited to see what God is going to do through this new discipleship group that was started tonight through a dear friend of mine, Tori Young. There are about 10 of us...leaders and college students. We will meet every Tuesday and discuss what we have read, ask questions, and seek God's will for our lives. We will also be paired up one on one...college student to leader. We will meet with the person we are paired up with once a week if we can so that we can get even deeper into God's Word and other things that come up in our lives. "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17
I am so excited about this! I never really had anyone (outside of family) when I was growing up that discipled me. I have already seen in one evening how beneficial this could be. I encourage you to be discipled and find someone to disciple you. I can already tell that it is going to change my life in so many ways.
We are reading two books this semester: Christian Beliefs by Wayne Grudem and Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donal S. Whitney. I am pumped about digging into to these books along with the Word and filling in some gaps in my knowledge of Christian beliefs. I will continue writing what God is doing in my life through this ministry (of course, in keeping with the confidentiality of the Dgroup).
I am also going through a Bible reading plan on esv.org to read the Bible in a year. I am learning a ton and loving it! It is the first time that I have committed to reading the entire Bible and am actually following through with it (just being honest). I am anxious to see everything that God is going to show me. I need Him to do a great work in me and I am seeking Him to prune away my fruitless branches.
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine dresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." John 15:1-17
I am so excited about this! I never really had anyone (outside of family) when I was growing up that discipled me. I have already seen in one evening how beneficial this could be. I encourage you to be discipled and find someone to disciple you. I can already tell that it is going to change my life in so many ways.
We are reading two books this semester: Christian Beliefs by Wayne Grudem and Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donal S. Whitney. I am pumped about digging into to these books along with the Word and filling in some gaps in my knowledge of Christian beliefs. I will continue writing what God is doing in my life through this ministry (of course, in keeping with the confidentiality of the Dgroup).
I am also going through a Bible reading plan on esv.org to read the Bible in a year. I am learning a ton and loving it! It is the first time that I have committed to reading the entire Bible and am actually following through with it (just being honest). I am anxious to see everything that God is going to show me. I need Him to do a great work in me and I am seeking Him to prune away my fruitless branches.
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine dresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." John 15:1-17
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Feeling 16 again...
It's almost here! I officially completed my last alcohol/drug treatment group today. I can't even believe it. In some ways I never thought the day would get here and in others it flew by. I will hopefully have my license in hand by the end of next week. Now...want to hear something funny? My car is making a really weird noise so we can't drive it until we can take it to get it looked and pay to have it fixed (which might be a couple of weeks). Ok, so it isn't really funny, but I just have to laugh about it, you know? God is still good. And, I guess, if I've gone this long without driving then I can go a couple more weeks.
I didn't really learn anything new about alcohol or drugs that I didn't know before now. I spent two weeks in inpatient rehab so I spent a lot of time learning about it and how to cope with abuse/addiction. However, I learned to deal with my past and be open about it. I shouldn't be ashamed of my past. I should be thankful for God's grace and use my past to influence others for the Kingdom. I don't, by any means, want to dwell on it every second. But, I do think it is good to remind myself of what I have gone through because it will only strengthen my relationship with Christ.
I also got to be around a lot of people that are really struggling. Right now, at this very moment, they are seriously struggling with addiction to drugs/alcohol. When I say seriously struggling, I mean getting ready to lose (or already have lost) everything. As part of my treatment (in addition to the 60 hours of group sessions), I had to attend 4 AA meetings on my own. These were not offered at the treatment center that I attended. However, there is a place right near our house that is a women's center. It is mainly a homeless shelter but they do a lot more than that. They also do alcohol/drug addiction treatment. So, since it was so close to our house, I decided I would attend AA meetings there. My eyes were opened to so much. There are people there that are truly hurting and struggling. I realize that it could have been me...so easily. I am grateful. My heart is burdened for these women (and men...they also have a men's shelter and sometimes have joint meetings). I don't know what I want to do, but I want to do something. For now, I am praying for them to be reconciled to Christ and fill their hole with His love instead of their drug of choice.
I didn't really learn anything new about alcohol or drugs that I didn't know before now. I spent two weeks in inpatient rehab so I spent a lot of time learning about it and how to cope with abuse/addiction. However, I learned to deal with my past and be open about it. I shouldn't be ashamed of my past. I should be thankful for God's grace and use my past to influence others for the Kingdom. I don't, by any means, want to dwell on it every second. But, I do think it is good to remind myself of what I have gone through because it will only strengthen my relationship with Christ.
I also got to be around a lot of people that are really struggling. Right now, at this very moment, they are seriously struggling with addiction to drugs/alcohol. When I say seriously struggling, I mean getting ready to lose (or already have lost) everything. As part of my treatment (in addition to the 60 hours of group sessions), I had to attend 4 AA meetings on my own. These were not offered at the treatment center that I attended. However, there is a place right near our house that is a women's center. It is mainly a homeless shelter but they do a lot more than that. They also do alcohol/drug addiction treatment. So, since it was so close to our house, I decided I would attend AA meetings there. My eyes were opened to so much. There are people there that are truly hurting and struggling. I realize that it could have been me...so easily. I am grateful. My heart is burdened for these women (and men...they also have a men's shelter and sometimes have joint meetings). I don't know what I want to do, but I want to do something. For now, I am praying for them to be reconciled to Christ and fill their hole with His love instead of their drug of choice.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
The Ministry of Reconciliation
At our church we are doing a series called, "Resolved...The End of Self Help". Instead of hearing our amazing pastor J.D. Greear, we had the opportunity to hear our young professional's pastor, Andrew Hopper. He did an amazing job of bringing the message of reconciliation and the ministry of reconciliation through 2 Corinthians 16-21. He explained it as one complete circle beginning with being reconciled to Christ (v.16-18) and then moving on to the ministry of reconciliation (v.19). Next, we become ambassadors of Christ (to beg people to become reconciled) (v.20). And lastly, we come to righteousness (v.21). We should be resolved to tell everyone because He is our only hope and our only Savior.
One thing that Andrew said that really hit home with me was that we must "not forget to remember" our reconciliation experience. If we stop remembering, then we will not have anything to pull from when sharing the gospel to someone. He explained it as drawing from your well of experience. You must have them and remember them in order to draw from it.
I have a lot of experiences with reconciliation to draw from and I don't want to forget. Believe me, I don't think that I will. However, for years I have wanted it all to just go away. Today...I have decided that I will hold onto ALL of it and put it in my well to draw from when I am talking with unbelievers. I want to use my past to be able to let unbelievers know that we have all been there. We are all sinners and we all have a past. We have all made mistakes. But, in the end, God is our Savior and we have been reconciled to Him so that we might become the righteousness of God. Absolutely amazing.
2 Corinthians 16-21
16Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. 17Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
One thing that Andrew said that really hit home with me was that we must "not forget to remember" our reconciliation experience. If we stop remembering, then we will not have anything to pull from when sharing the gospel to someone. He explained it as drawing from your well of experience. You must have them and remember them in order to draw from it.
I have a lot of experiences with reconciliation to draw from and I don't want to forget. Believe me, I don't think that I will. However, for years I have wanted it all to just go away. Today...I have decided that I will hold onto ALL of it and put it in my well to draw from when I am talking with unbelievers. I want to use my past to be able to let unbelievers know that we have all been there. We are all sinners and we all have a past. We have all made mistakes. But, in the end, God is our Savior and we have been reconciled to Him so that we might become the righteousness of God. Absolutely amazing.
2 Corinthians 16-21
16Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. 17Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Well...here goes
Whew. This is hard. There has been a lot going on in my life lately. I have been thinking long and hard about sharing it with all of you. I think I just need to get it out there in the open. Man, I honestly don't even know where to start. Keep in mind, that this is a really LONG story made short. I am leaving out a lot of stuff. Honestly, there is a ton that I don't remember. I am just going to hit the high (and low) points. I am leaving out most of my emotions about everything for now. I'm sure I will write more later. Also, I am just rambling in this post. I am not going to read and re-read it to get it just right. So, if there are things that don't sound right...sorry. I also want to say that I am not writing this to say "look at where I have come from". I am writing this as therapy for myself and to say "look what God has done in my life". I'm going to start with some background information.
Okay, so when I was in high school I experimented with alcohol and marijuana. When I went to college in 1998, I really got into alcohol and drugs. It was bad. So bad that I failed out of my first year at Lander University and my roommates moved out on me without telling me. I came home one day and they were gone. I don't blame them for it. I did so many things that you wouldn't even believe from selling drugs to stealing from my own friends and family. When I say it was bad...it was bad. I got a DUI while attending a community college in Greenwood, SC. I told my parents and my Dad drove down to Greenwood and moved me back home.
I got a job working with my mom and started attending Greenville Tech. I continued to stay in trouble for a little while. Then, the guy I was dating got in a really serious car accident. The day he was getting out of the hospital, a dear friend of mine and my family's was killed in a car accident. At this point, my eyes were opened. I decided to really try to make a change in my life (so I thought).
I applied to Mars Hill College and began attending there in the Spring of 2001 to get a degree. I got baptized during the Spring of 2001 at my home church with some of my friends that I had made from Mars Hill. That summer, I did Work Corp which is a program for college students to be youth directors for churches that can't afford to pay for one. It was an amazing experience.
During the Fall semester, I started getting back into drinking. One thing led to another and I got myself back in the exact same place I was in before...drugs and alcohol. I just couldn't seem to stay away. I managed to still keep my grades just above passing...praise the Lord.
Now, I will skip ahead to my Senior year. In January of 2004, I got another DUI. It was a Sunday. My friend and I began at a restaurant in downtown Asheville drinking bloody mary's for brunch. It ended with me getting pulled over by three police officers at about nine o'clock. I was so intoxicated that I didn't know or remember being pulled over. Wow. Every time I think back to that night it brings tears to my eyes (every time) when I realize that it was God that sent those police officers to me. He saved my life. Better yet, He saved someone else's life. I am so thankful to those police officers for doing their job. Unlike most people, I love police officers!
So, the judge ordered me to either 30 days in jail or 2 weeks of inpatient rehabilitation. Obviously, I chose the 2 weeks of rehabilitation. I continued in school in hopes that I could graduate in the Fall of 2004. In April, I "met" Chris. Chris and I had known each other the entire four years in college but our eyes were opened to each other in a new way. We started dating pretty seriously. I checked into rehab that summer. The judge had allowed me to finish my semester before going to rehab. By the time I went to rehab, God had already done a lot of work in my life. God really used Chris to show me how He could change my life and love me no matter what. Everyday that I was in rehab, Chris wrote me a letter. He was amazing through everything. His friends were extremely worried about our relationship. At the time, that made me so angry. But, now, I see that I would have been the same way. I was trouble. Plain and simple.
Chris stuck by me. It was completely obvious that he was the man God created for me. I had a lot of baggage and he didn't care about any of it. As you could guess, I did not save myself for him. He never made a second comment or had a second thought about it. He loved me for who I was then instead of who I used to be. I am so thankful to him for that.
As most of you know, Chris and I moved to TN in 2004. I got a TN driver's license and (for the most part) never looked back. We had a wonderful church family and God taught me a lot of things during our four years in TN. Then, we moved to Raleigh and it came time to get my NC driver's license back. I knew I would have to meet with a counselor and prove to them that I went to rehab for two weeks. I thought once I did that then it would be over. Boy...was I wrong.
I put it off and put if off, thinking that it didn't matter. On September 13th, driving home from my parent's in SC with just Kael in the car, I got pulled over. Come to find out, my TN driver's license means nothing in NC or SC. So, I got a ticket for "driving with a suspended license" even though technically I had a squeaky clean TN driver's license. I have been without a driver's license since that day. We had to pull Bryce out of preschool. I have court on December 17th. I had to get an assessment with an alcohol and drug treatment center. They concluded that since I have had 2 DUI's and I admitted to having a couple of glasses a wine a week, that I needed to do 60 hours of group counseling. So far, I have gone to 12 group sessions. I have 10 more to go. I will write more about this later. It is kind of crazy.
I want to say that I am not an alcoholic or drug addict anymore. I do not believe in "once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic". I know a lot of people will strongly disagree with this statement and that is okay. We all have different experiences with alcoholism. However, I am (daily) putting ALL of my faith in Christ to keep me on the right path. I don't struggle with wanting to be on the path of drugs and alcohol anymore. My life and family are wonderful. I know what abusing alcohol and drugs will do to my life and I want NO part of it! God has blessed me so much and I know that He has taken away my desire for that life. But, as one of my friends always says, none of us are above anything. Sin is always right around the corner. It is a daily commitment to follow Christ and to seek His face in all that we do. I am so incredibly in awe with God's grace and mercy in my life. If you know me well, you know that I cry a lot. I used to think that it was because I had so many years of not being sober that I didn't know how to deal with my emotions. I still think that was a lot of it. However, I realize now that I am often overcome with complete awe that God saved me.
"For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11
"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23
Okay, so when I was in high school I experimented with alcohol and marijuana. When I went to college in 1998, I really got into alcohol and drugs. It was bad. So bad that I failed out of my first year at Lander University and my roommates moved out on me without telling me. I came home one day and they were gone. I don't blame them for it. I did so many things that you wouldn't even believe from selling drugs to stealing from my own friends and family. When I say it was bad...it was bad. I got a DUI while attending a community college in Greenwood, SC. I told my parents and my Dad drove down to Greenwood and moved me back home.
I got a job working with my mom and started attending Greenville Tech. I continued to stay in trouble for a little while. Then, the guy I was dating got in a really serious car accident. The day he was getting out of the hospital, a dear friend of mine and my family's was killed in a car accident. At this point, my eyes were opened. I decided to really try to make a change in my life (so I thought).
I applied to Mars Hill College and began attending there in the Spring of 2001 to get a degree. I got baptized during the Spring of 2001 at my home church with some of my friends that I had made from Mars Hill. That summer, I did Work Corp which is a program for college students to be youth directors for churches that can't afford to pay for one. It was an amazing experience.
During the Fall semester, I started getting back into drinking. One thing led to another and I got myself back in the exact same place I was in before...drugs and alcohol. I just couldn't seem to stay away. I managed to still keep my grades just above passing...praise the Lord.
Now, I will skip ahead to my Senior year. In January of 2004, I got another DUI. It was a Sunday. My friend and I began at a restaurant in downtown Asheville drinking bloody mary's for brunch. It ended with me getting pulled over by three police officers at about nine o'clock. I was so intoxicated that I didn't know or remember being pulled over. Wow. Every time I think back to that night it brings tears to my eyes (every time) when I realize that it was God that sent those police officers to me. He saved my life. Better yet, He saved someone else's life. I am so thankful to those police officers for doing their job. Unlike most people, I love police officers!
So, the judge ordered me to either 30 days in jail or 2 weeks of inpatient rehabilitation. Obviously, I chose the 2 weeks of rehabilitation. I continued in school in hopes that I could graduate in the Fall of 2004. In April, I "met" Chris. Chris and I had known each other the entire four years in college but our eyes were opened to each other in a new way. We started dating pretty seriously. I checked into rehab that summer. The judge had allowed me to finish my semester before going to rehab. By the time I went to rehab, God had already done a lot of work in my life. God really used Chris to show me how He could change my life and love me no matter what. Everyday that I was in rehab, Chris wrote me a letter. He was amazing through everything. His friends were extremely worried about our relationship. At the time, that made me so angry. But, now, I see that I would have been the same way. I was trouble. Plain and simple.
Chris stuck by me. It was completely obvious that he was the man God created for me. I had a lot of baggage and he didn't care about any of it. As you could guess, I did not save myself for him. He never made a second comment or had a second thought about it. He loved me for who I was then instead of who I used to be. I am so thankful to him for that.
As most of you know, Chris and I moved to TN in 2004. I got a TN driver's license and (for the most part) never looked back. We had a wonderful church family and God taught me a lot of things during our four years in TN. Then, we moved to Raleigh and it came time to get my NC driver's license back. I knew I would have to meet with a counselor and prove to them that I went to rehab for two weeks. I thought once I did that then it would be over. Boy...was I wrong.
I put it off and put if off, thinking that it didn't matter. On September 13th, driving home from my parent's in SC with just Kael in the car, I got pulled over. Come to find out, my TN driver's license means nothing in NC or SC. So, I got a ticket for "driving with a suspended license" even though technically I had a squeaky clean TN driver's license. I have been without a driver's license since that day. We had to pull Bryce out of preschool. I have court on December 17th. I had to get an assessment with an alcohol and drug treatment center. They concluded that since I have had 2 DUI's and I admitted to having a couple of glasses a wine a week, that I needed to do 60 hours of group counseling. So far, I have gone to 12 group sessions. I have 10 more to go. I will write more about this later. It is kind of crazy.
I want to say that I am not an alcoholic or drug addict anymore. I do not believe in "once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic". I know a lot of people will strongly disagree with this statement and that is okay. We all have different experiences with alcoholism. However, I am (daily) putting ALL of my faith in Christ to keep me on the right path. I don't struggle with wanting to be on the path of drugs and alcohol anymore. My life and family are wonderful. I know what abusing alcohol and drugs will do to my life and I want NO part of it! God has blessed me so much and I know that He has taken away my desire for that life. But, as one of my friends always says, none of us are above anything. Sin is always right around the corner. It is a daily commitment to follow Christ and to seek His face in all that we do. I am so incredibly in awe with God's grace and mercy in my life. If you know me well, you know that I cry a lot. I used to think that it was because I had so many years of not being sober that I didn't know how to deal with my emotions. I still think that was a lot of it. However, I realize now that I am often overcome with complete awe that God saved me.
"For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11
"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
three boys!
Haha! Gotcha! No, I am not pregnant. However, I am hoping to be soon ; ). Well...I have been hoping to be for a while now, but am waiting patiently on God. I started keeping my neighbor's five month old little boy yesterday. He is absolutely precious! Bryce and Kael think that he is the coolest baby ever. I was a little nervous about how I would handle having three little ones in the house, but I love it! It really hasn't added any extra stress to our house at all. I think having Kael prepared me for anything. Don't get me wrong, he is a sweetheart and absolutely adorable. But, he has been a challenge at times. Nathan is a very laid back baby. I am so blessed to have the opportunity to take care of him while his mom is at work (she teaches special ed in high school). It is really going to help Chris and I financially and it has definitely confirmed that we want another child (preferably a sweet little girl...hehe). Isn't God great?! This was my conversation with Bryce today:
Me "Do you want mommy to have another baby?"
Bryce "ummm...yes"
Me "Do you want a brother or a sister?"
Bryce "ummm...a sister"
Later on in the day:
Bryce (as he is loving on baby Nathan): "Awww...I love baby Nathan. Mom, let's keep baby Nathan and get a baby girl."
Me "Do you want mommy to have another baby?"
Bryce "ummm...yes"
Me "Do you want a brother or a sister?"
Bryce "ummm...a sister"
Later on in the day:
Bryce (as he is loving on baby Nathan): "Awww...I love baby Nathan. Mom, let's keep baby Nathan and get a baby girl."
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Penny for your thoughts
There are a lot of opinions out there on how children should be educated. I want to hear your thoughts. I think all of the options - public, homeschool, and private - have pros and cons. So...let me know. What are you doing or planning on doing and why? Just curious.
Easy on your wallet
This is a recipe for Giada's Penne La Carbonara. It is so yummy and very fast to make! And, if you substitute bacon for the pancetta it is really inexpensive. I used pancetta this time but next time I will use bacon. I'm also posting my recipe for gorgonzola bruschetta. Gorgonzola just happened to be on sale so I thought I would try it. It turned out really good.
1 pound pancetta, diced into 1-inch cubes
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
1 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 pound dried penne
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Directions
Heat a large saute pan, until hot. Add pancetta and saute until golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Season with black pepper and remove pan from heat.
In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and cream. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in Parmesan, reserving 2 tablespoons for garnish.
In a large pot, boil 6 quarts of salted boiling water. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta in a colander. Do not rinse with water; you want to retain the pasta's natural starches so that the sauce will stick. While the pasta is still hot, return it back to the pot. Add the browned pancetta and mix well. Add the cream mixture and coat the pasta completely. It's important to work quickly while the pasta is still warm so that the cream mixture will cook, but not curdle. Add remaining Parmesan and chopped parsley.
Talia's Gorgonzola Bruschetta
1 cup gorgonzola cheese
half a loaf of french bread
4 garlic cloves
2 tomatoes
1-2 tsp dried basil or 5-6 fresh basil leaves
Slice the french bread about 3/4 inch slices. Place on baking sheet. Broil for about 2 minutes on one side and then about a minute on the other side. Watch it carefully so it doesn't burn. As soon as you remove it from the oven, rub each piece of bread with one clove of garlic - just peel the clove and rub it on each side of the piece of bread. The heat will help "melt" the garlic onto the bread. Drizzle each piece of bread with olive oil. Top each piece with gorgonzola and tomato mixture (recipe to follow).
Tomato mixture:
Core the two tomatoes. In a food processor place the tomatoes, remaining three garlic cloves (mince them so there won't be any big chunks), basil, salt and pepper. Pulse for just a few minutes. You want the tomatoes to be slightly big chunks. Drain the excess liquid before placing the topping on the bread. Enjoy!
1 pound pancetta, diced into 1-inch cubes
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
1 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 pound dried penne
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Directions
Heat a large saute pan, until hot. Add pancetta and saute until golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Season with black pepper and remove pan from heat.
In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and cream. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in Parmesan, reserving 2 tablespoons for garnish.
In a large pot, boil 6 quarts of salted boiling water. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta in a colander. Do not rinse with water; you want to retain the pasta's natural starches so that the sauce will stick. While the pasta is still hot, return it back to the pot. Add the browned pancetta and mix well. Add the cream mixture and coat the pasta completely. It's important to work quickly while the pasta is still warm so that the cream mixture will cook, but not curdle. Add remaining Parmesan and chopped parsley.
Talia's Gorgonzola Bruschetta
1 cup gorgonzola cheese
half a loaf of french bread
4 garlic cloves
2 tomatoes
1-2 tsp dried basil or 5-6 fresh basil leaves
Slice the french bread about 3/4 inch slices. Place on baking sheet. Broil for about 2 minutes on one side and then about a minute on the other side. Watch it carefully so it doesn't burn. As soon as you remove it from the oven, rub each piece of bread with one clove of garlic - just peel the clove and rub it on each side of the piece of bread. The heat will help "melt" the garlic onto the bread. Drizzle each piece of bread with olive oil. Top each piece with gorgonzola and tomato mixture (recipe to follow).
Tomato mixture:
Core the two tomatoes. In a food processor place the tomatoes, remaining three garlic cloves (mince them so there won't be any big chunks), basil, salt and pepper. Pulse for just a few minutes. You want the tomatoes to be slightly big chunks. Drain the excess liquid before placing the topping on the bread. Enjoy!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
This is what's for dinner tonight (July 7th)
From "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives cookbook"
Beef Brisket
1 beef brisket (2-3 lbs)
garlic powder (or granulated garlic if you have it)
fresh ground pepper
MoGridder's Dry Rub Barbecue Seasoning (recipe follows)
MoGridder's Barbecue Sauce (recipe follows)
Season the brisked with garlic powder, pepper, and barbecue seasoning. Wrap the brisket in foil tightly seales so no juices can leak out. I lay one sheet horizontal and one sheet vertical and gather it together at the top. Bake for 6-8 hours (I prefer 8 hrs) on 225. Remove from oven and let rest. Serve with barbecue sauce.
Barbecue Seasoning recipe (makes about a cup...store the rest in a glass jar for later use):
2 1/2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp kosher salt
2 tbsp garlic powder (again can use granulated garlic)
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
Barbecue Sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp ground oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp kosher salt
2 to 3 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup vinegar
1 cup molasses
1 cup ketchup
3/4 cup mustard
1/2 to 1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional...we like ours spicey so i put a full tsp but be careful)
Combine first 6 ingredients in a medium nonreactive saucepan. Stir in enough of the vinegar to make a loose paster. You will probably not use the whole amount. I ended up using about 1/4 cup. Combine the remaining ingredients and incorporate well. Bring the sauce to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until thick. Enjoy!!
Beef Brisket
1 beef brisket (2-3 lbs)
garlic powder (or granulated garlic if you have it)
fresh ground pepper
MoGridder's Dry Rub Barbecue Seasoning (recipe follows)
MoGridder's Barbecue Sauce (recipe follows)
Season the brisked with garlic powder, pepper, and barbecue seasoning. Wrap the brisket in foil tightly seales so no juices can leak out. I lay one sheet horizontal and one sheet vertical and gather it together at the top. Bake for 6-8 hours (I prefer 8 hrs) on 225. Remove from oven and let rest. Serve with barbecue sauce.
Barbecue Seasoning recipe (makes about a cup...store the rest in a glass jar for later use):
2 1/2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp kosher salt
2 tbsp garlic powder (again can use granulated garlic)
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
Barbecue Sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp ground oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp kosher salt
2 to 3 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup vinegar
1 cup molasses
1 cup ketchup
3/4 cup mustard
1/2 to 1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional...we like ours spicey so i put a full tsp but be careful)
Combine first 6 ingredients in a medium nonreactive saucepan. Stir in enough of the vinegar to make a loose paster. You will probably not use the whole amount. I ended up using about 1/4 cup. Combine the remaining ingredients and incorporate well. Bring the sauce to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until thick. Enjoy!!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
God is good.
You know those times in your life when you are not sure when something is going to work out. You know God is going to take care of it, but you are still struggling with it all. Well, I have been struggling with not having a church home. We will have lived in Raleigh for a year come the end of this month. About a month or so ago, Chris and I had a long talk about what our next step was going to be. We were both emotionally exhausted from church hunting. We were just having a hard time not comparing every church to our last church (which we still miss dearly).
We decided that we just needed to commit to one of our favorite churches and dive in. We narrowed it down to two churches, ultimatley choosing the church that is closest to our house and the one our neighbors attend. We are now regularly attending The Summit. We are positive that the Summit is where God wants us to be. We weren't positive when we first committed to it, but after JUST a few weeks it became clear. God is so good. I am already singing in the choir which is so fun! My neighbor friend and I are leading the worship this week for Route56 (5th and 6th grade) during VBS. We are having a blast! As soon as Chris' schedule will allow, he is also planning on getting plugged in (hopefully helping with the youth in some way). God is doing great things at the Summit and I can't wait to be a very small part of it! Praise the Lord for His faithfulness!
We decided that we just needed to commit to one of our favorite churches and dive in. We narrowed it down to two churches, ultimatley choosing the church that is closest to our house and the one our neighbors attend. We are now regularly attending The Summit. We are positive that the Summit is where God wants us to be. We weren't positive when we first committed to it, but after JUST a few weeks it became clear. God is so good. I am already singing in the choir which is so fun! My neighbor friend and I are leading the worship this week for Route56 (5th and 6th grade) during VBS. We are having a blast! As soon as Chris' schedule will allow, he is also planning on getting plugged in (hopefully helping with the youth in some way). God is doing great things at the Summit and I can't wait to be a very small part of it! Praise the Lord for His faithfulness!
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