Moving forward....

I'm so thankful that this month is over.  This time last year I was filled with a knowing that the year was going to be a good one and it was for the most part.  So far 2012 has been taxing to say the least.....I've decided to vent a little bit....one day my darling children you will find these thoughts. I want you to know that I was human and that I too had my bad days/months.  I try to be a glass 1/2 full kind of person.....I'm trying really hard to redirect our path.....to be a healthy role model for each of you......but sometimes the world seems to have another plan for me......

-  the weather as gone from one extreme to another.  Causing all kind of cancellations and rearranging of events & plans.  Which in turn has had all kinds of ripple effects....gremlins, gremlins, anxiety dragons, more gremlins and we were doing so well......I'm sorry that I snarled back instead of helping you chase your gremlins away....

-  the last few weeks I have found myself re-evaluating my position & boundaries with some of our family members.  Sadly, this is not the first time I have felt the need to step back and reassess.  I find myself grieving for so many things......I'm angry with the ongoing selfishness........I'm sad that the disfunction from my childhood is being passed on.....I'm reminded how much I dislike mental illness & addiction......I'm so tired of being treated as the families "emotional black hole"......it's all so tiring......I worry that by setting these boundaries you will judge me and worry about how I will support you as you navigate through the hurdles to come.....I just keep reminding myself that I can only control how I react and that we are so fortunate to be surrounded by an amazing " chosen" family.

- then you throw in some of the everyday old normal kind of challenges like vehicle issues, the quotes for the upcoming home repairs are a bit intimidating,  I haven't heard anything back from Keisha's neurologists....I'm so hoping that no news is good news ! Big boy I know you need to find your way but your testing me a little too much this week and if all that wasn't enough a ghost from the past has decided to try and widdle her way back into our lives.....that so not going to happen......a promise is a promise you can trust me......

So February is a new month......I promise to try harder to shake off the funk I've been in.....glass 1/2 full right Ana !  We have so much to look forward too......another set of swim lesson almost done....you guys are just flying through them.  We're going to start our family study of Italy.  The days are already getting longer....which means we may be able to get back to our evening walks/rides.....And the last but not least our upcoming trip to the Yukon for "Rendeveoux" & visit with Aunty Vanessa, Noah & Seth.  I'm so excited.....our first trip flying all together !!

Homeschooling Wednesday - Games & visiting at Ms. Nicole's

Vega Testing

Just before Christmas I went for the first time to have my allergies/food sensitivities tested at a Wholistic Health Care Center.  Their are several testing methods...I went with Vega testing.  I have only heard positive things about the accuracy and ease of the testing.  I met with Ms. Dana Hook CHC, CHP.  She's great !  She is also the mastermind  over at Healing Bliss Botanicals. Well...I knew going into it that I was missing something and was hoping it wasn't corn or eggs.  The test confirmed what I already knew.....that I shouldn't eat Wheat, Dairy, Raw Citrus, Caffeine, Honey, Peanuts nor Almonds ( with the exception of Cashews).  It also showed that I shouldn't eat sesame & SOY !  I can eat all the eggs & corn my little heart desires.....It was SOY all the time.....

Dana recommended several suppliments in addition to eliminating my toxic foods to help balance out my acidity level, detox my liver & my adrenal glands ( their a bit stressed ! ).  I went into this knowing that I was at the point to embrace the results and recommendations.  So off I went to the Health Food store to pick up some " Brad King Anti Stress", " Milk Thistle" & " Chlorophyll ".  Well, it's been a month and I feel pretty good.  I'm sleeping better, I've dropped some more of that stress weight....back in my old clothes...:))

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The kids all went this past Monday & Tuesday to see Dana to have their Vega testing done...their results are has follows.....

( The testing works on an X system - XXXX means an allergy never eat/ anaphylaxis, XXX means a allergy never eat/no anaphylaxis/ still medically dangerous, XX means intolerant shouldn't eat, X sensitive when body  is under stress.)

Ana - Wheat - XXX
          Buckwheat - XXX
          Alcohol - XXX
          Soya - XXX
          Caffeine - XXX
          Turkey - XXX
          Dairy - XXX
          Cane Sugar - XX
          Beef/Pork - XX
          Oats - limit to 1x per wk
          Spelt - limit to 1x per wk
          Dark Chocolate - occasionally

Keisha - Wheat - XXX
              Alcohol - XXX
              Chocolate - XXX
              Soya - XXX
              Casein - XXX
              Whole Milk - XXX
               Buckwheat - XX
               Peanuts - XX
               Coffee - XX
               Banana - XX
               Oranges - XX
               Beef/Pork - XX
               Cane Sugar - XX
              Gluten - XX
              Tomatoes - X

Anthony - Wheat - XX
                Buckwheat - XX
                Alcohol - XX
                Peanuts - XX
                Soya - XX
                Coffee - XX
                Oranges - XX
                Whole Milk - XX
                Cane Sugar - XX
                Corn - X  - limit to no more than 1x per wk
                Beef/Pork - X - limit to no more than 1x per wk

Liam - Wheat - XX
           Rye - XX
           Alcohol - XX
           Peanuts - XX
           Walnuts - XX
           Almonds - XX
           Soya - XX
           Caffeine - XX
           Whole Milk - XX
           Cane Sugar - XX
           Oats - X - limit to no more than 1x per wk
           Chocolate - X - limit to no more than 1x per wk

WOW !!  The good thing is that we can all still eat eggs, goat's milk/products, rice, all veggies and most fruits, tomatoes in moderation, a few of us different nuts, flax & lots of seeds, potatoes, amaranth, most of us corn, arrowroot, vinegars, yeast, herbs, ghee, maple & agave syrup, olive/vegetable/grapeseed oil, chicken, wild meat and any thing from the ocean.

I have to tell you I was initially feeling quite panicked and needed to give myself quite the talking too....:)  The kids are all embracing their results amazingly well at the moment.  Liam is the only one who is having any detox symptoms ( headache, muscle ache, moodiness...)...I'm confident that these will pass soon....

Christmas wrap up.......

 Christmas Morning

 - was a wonderfully calm very enjoyable morning.....it was just the five of us this year...:))

 ( The whole set of Harry Potter books from Papa Tom & Grandma Heather )

 Christmas Dinner

- we hosted this year....the amazing " Neilson's" joined us along with our very wonderful sister missionaries Sister Bosshardt & Sister Duffy....we laughed, we played, we happily worked together...we were sad to say " Good Night "

Christmas Travel....

- Papa & Grandma & Aunties & Uncles & Cousins & Shopping & Playing......

New Years

- was spent with our Jim & Joy & Hailey & James....:))