Life remains a bit. . . busy.
While I will now be popping in and out of here, I still will not be back full time until school starts in September. The break is doing me good in more ways than one. :) My heart is brimming with things to write and I think it's because I haven't been writing. Sometimes stopping lets the dry spring well up again.
To give you a glimpse into our busyness, while I've been gone:
~ We successfully got through a week of VBS at our church.
~ Have precious time with friends on play-dates galore.
~ Transitioned into a healthy eating lifestyle, almost 100% within our home tho, out and about is still a struggle. The transition has included many experiments:
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| Sweet Potato Chips with Home-made Salsa |
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| Coconut Butter |
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| Raw Cacao Almond Bites with Raw Cacao Coconut Butter |
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| Raw Cacao Butter and Almonds ready for another recipe |
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| Gluten Free Choc Cookies with Coconut Butter Frosting (our favorites!) |
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| Vegan Cheese Spread (a staple now) |
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| Kale Chips with Vegan Cheese Spread |
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| One of my many cracker attempts. None have been crackers worth repeating. |
Some recipes have turned out super yummy, others, have only been mourned money spent on absolute flops that even Handsome, who eats anything, won't touch.
It has not been easy and sometimes, I want to give up--and Miraclegirl wishes I would! But more on that in a future post.
~ I've created lesson plans for our school year.
~ We have enjoyed countless hours outdoors, playing, swimming, and exploring fun creatures.
~ Hunted for monarch eggs and raised some to butterfly stage
~ Doing fun things like crafts, sewing, playing, forts, watching videos, and always picture taking.
~ Bubbles had his first hair cut.
~ Miraclegirl has been fitted with orthotics
~ Bubbles is seeing a chiropractor for his chronic ear infections. We've been antibiotic free for 2 months now, though his ear drums remain pink-to-red at each visit. We are giving the diary/gluten free diet with adjustments a few more weeks, then probably pursue tubes to aid us as we continue to seek the alternative solution to his health.
~ I've undergone some medical testing for some health concerns and so far the diagnosis has been:
very low Vita D levels. (21) I'm on high potency Vita D, and with it and nutrition changes, the hope to get off Zoloft once and for all.
Positive reactivity for Celiac Disease. This does not mean I have Celiac but it does mean I'm allergic to gluten.
and for now, a diagnoses of intestinal damage from laxative abuse in ED years, which dairy causes inflammation of. In September I undergo an GI series to make sure nothing more is happening like Chrohns disease or something a bit scarier but initial tests point to these three diagnosis--all workable, praise God. And my diet changes go right along with Bubbles needed diet, so while it's been difficult I'm grateful it's not two additional diet changes on top of his dietary needs.
~ I've created and added several GIMP storyboard templates to my own personal collection and am now sharing them on this site as well. Feel free to take and use. A shout-out to this blog URL would be lovely, if you are using one. ;)
(I think they work for Photoshop too. They are .psd format)
~ I've partnered with a friend to start an online blog and support group forum for women going through infertility, miscarriage, and infant loss. This includes creating a Bible study guide for both the site and an in-person group we hope to begin in our church, as well as a curriclum to train other churches to being groups as well. The writing to develop this study has been taking quite a bit of my time.
~ We've experienced another miscarriage ourselves, at the end of June. At "only" 6 weeks, the loss still leaves another gap in my heart that won't find it's piece until heaven. God gave the name "Ana Hope", meaning "grace, favor, hope".
~ We have stocked our woodpile, it being an entire family affair.
~ More renovations have been completed, slowly but surely. I am one day closer to having a full functioning bathroom!
~ Our hearts have been a little bit more refined for the day when Shiloh children come home to us. We have been reminded several times over the past weeks, why we are doing nutritional changes and living in chaos. While these things are hard to press through some days, they are simply one more preparation for the home these children need. I continue to abandon myself so that I may surrender to all of this.
Basically, it's been a very (very) full life.
A good life.
A at-times difficult and painful life.
But a beautiful life.
