Pictures and FAQs

We went to the zoo!!  :)

And we stop to take a break/snack from our well stocked GAPS diet cooler.

 And so, where do I start? this has been a super busy, fun, full, fun, sad, fun, stressful, full of memories summer! Most people say life can't be all roses. I say it is. You just can't have the beautiful roses with out those prickly thorns that seem to prick you at the time when you are least expecting to get poked. Sometimes you can easily pull out the thorn and go on. Other times the thorn stays awhile and causes a significant amount of pain. The older I'm getting, I think I'm seeing more and more that without the thorns, I would never truly see the beauty of the rose. Thorns make me stop and consider what truly is important in life. What truly matters. They make me count my blessings. They make me cry out to God, the healer, comforter, and Maker of the rose. Thorns create a greater desire in me to learn to really KNOW God's heart; His love for me. Thorns help me see REAL beauty for what it REALLY is.

These 2 pictures make me feel successful.  :)

YUM! A Gaps friendly Strawberry Daquari!! It is seriously SO good! I've never tasted a real strawberry daquari, but Wes has and he thinks this needs a little something to make it taste 'right'.  :) Just put 2 cups of apple juice, 3 cups frozen strawberries, 2 T. lemon or lime juice, 1 tsp vanilla, and honey or stevia to taste, in your blender!! Blend well. If it's too thick, add a little more apple juice. Yummy!!! It's also good to use 2 c. frozen strawberries and 1 c. frozen peaches.

This is what you do when you are busy canning and your five yr old says, "Mamma can you PLEASE take a picture with me?" I love her! :)

Look! There's a monkey in the tree!!  :)

And I claim him!  :) He has definitely put the love of climbing into all of our children! Even Mya likes to climb trees! I think he should pass it on to me!

And we did more camping!  :) Our 'luck' was not very good this year! Such 'fun in the mud'!!

Yay for campfires! (And watching Grandpa fry bacon!)

This poor guy was suffering from another ear infection!

And so people ask me, "So how is Kyler doing?" I am grateful for your interest and support. But that is a HUGE question! A question that I sometimes almost don't know HOW to answer. There are times when I simply do not feel like talking about it. Sometimes it's to huge for me to handle. Times when I would burst into tears and I don't feel like crying at the moment. Times when he has taken 2 steps backwards and I'm trying to process that. So before I answer that question here, Please, PLEASE understand, I appreciate your interest. It means a lot to me to have friends who care about us! But if I say, " Oh, we are seeing lots of improvements! How has your week gone?" It's NOT because I want to ignore YOU or the question. It's just plain and simple that perhaps one of the 'above' is  going on and I don't exactly know what or how to say it.

In many ways he IS doing much better. In many ways he is like a different child. We are CONVINCED that wheat/gluten and perhaps dairy (more on that later) are the triggers. This past Monday, at Grandma's, he ate 1 chocolate covered pretzel and 1 ritz cracker. (Neither, of which, was Grandma's fault. His Grandma is amazing when it comes to his diet!!!! And I dearly LOVE her for it!!) That evening, he complained to Wes that he had a stomach ache. Wes didn't think to tell me until the next evening.  He was much more grouchy then normal, but his Mother's mind was blank and she didn't make the connection. On Tuesday, well, to make a long story short, I thought I was going to lose my mind. He cried and cried and CRIED almost ALL morning long. At one point he stood in the hallway just pounding on the walls, crying at the TOP of his lungs. I wanted to join him. I wanted to pound on walls and yell. I was angry. AT  Kyler AND GOD!! I felt guilty for my anger. I didn't feel like a good Christian at all. (But then I haven't for a very long time. I'm more like a broken and emotional piece of something.) And so, after many tears from both of us, he yelled, "My tummy hurts!" My brain suddenly made the connection. (You would THINK that after 4 months, my brain would pick up on things very quickly.) the chocolate covered pretzel. The ritz cracker. He was obviously in pain. He has a HIGH pain tolerance and it has to HURT before he cries over it. But after a trip to the bathroom shortly there after, (excuse the info) he was fine. Still a little grouchy, but the tears were gone. Thank you God!
   But the ear infections are not gone. He had two, four day ear infections in the last 6 wks. we are beginning to wonder if he's allergic to dairy. What causes constant ear infections in an almost 4 yr old child? So we are going to have to check that out.
    "So what do you eat?" this question never fails to make me smile. One thing I learned fast is that when you are dealing with diet restrictions, you eat to LIVE, not live to EAT! Although I will admit, I miss meals like lasagna, garlic bread, ceaser salad, and cheesecake. YUM! There are LOTS of foods to eat, but on a busy day, when you are short on time and haven't planned well enough, it feels as though there is nothing in the house to eat!! There is nothing fast and quick and convenient. But then I also think it has been good for me in many ways.

Kyler playing with Wallace.  :)

 We are cheating on the GAPS diet. We've added potatoes, rice, and corn back into our diet, in moderation, and we all LOVE it!! We are still completely gluten, lactose, and sugar free. We've also quit going to the Dr, due to a few things that we didn't feel comfortable with. We are trusting that God will guide us step by step. He's been so faithful to guide us and we know he will continue.

Down by the river, looking for 'sea shells'  :)

Wes is attempting to catch a crawdad without getting wet. I would have lost my balance!!

Baby in the water.  :)

And I can throw....

...a rock! YAY!!

And yet, amidst all the hard, there is SO much good!! I find God in a more real way. It makes me more thankful for the good. It makes me more thankful for all the blessings around me. God is good.
And I must put in a good word for my husband!! He is amazing!! He has been a rock in the midst of dietary challenges and the extreme fatigue I've experienced the last 6 months or so.  God so knew what he was doing when he gave me a quiet, steady husband. He knew my wavering, impulsive self would need some steadfast person to give me wisdom.
I've become to realize in a more real way that life is a journey. And your journey looks so much different from mine. In fact my journey looks very easy compared to a friend of mine. Her husband was taken very suddenly on July 2nd. I can see pain in her eyes. And yet there is also a strength in her eyes.  The strength that comes only from God.

Grandma serves up Amish church soup made over the fire. :) It is a favorite for the family! Minus a few of us strange 'outlaws'.   :)

 She loved to climb up everything, visit the neighbors, play in the puddles , turn her pretty pink stuffed poodle into a brown,muddy stuffed poodle...

Cleaning fish!

Yummy watermelon!

I miss these people! They are special!

I am in love; with this little boy and his little 'big' hand. He is constantly picking flowers and bringing them to me.  :)   Hope you have a blessed day!

In GOD I will find the grace and strength to walk the path he has planned for me. And I only want to be faithful. I want to share his love more. I want to be who he's created me to be. Praying that you would feel God's presence and love in a very special way today!! Blessings!