Getting ready to move feels like slowly climbing a big hill on a bicycle and as soon as we reach a certain point, we'll start the downhill portion and once we get rolling, it's going to pick up speed and take us on a wild ride.
We contacted a realtor this week and will be setting up a preliminary appointment to look at what our house might be worth, what we should or shouldn't fix up, and how the selling process might go. A lot hinges on this first big step.
If it all goes well, we'll make appointments with mortgage loan officers and start the process to get preapproved for a new home loan; contact a realtor from our desired area to move to and look at what the process of buying looks like.
Then I believe life will become chaotic as we go through the active part of the journey to move. I'm nervous about it, excited about the potential, and looking forward to settling back into a more normal lifestyle again after everything is all said and done.
We dropped the kids off with family today and spent the day working on the house and packing. I've packed almost all of my fragile items and a good majority of our non-essentials. I'm constantly amazed at the amount of STUFF we own. Despite the numerous trips to the thrift store donation station even!
We're also in our last month of homeschooling. We have the flexibility to delay things until later in the summer if needed, but I'm hoping we can finish most things before the moving process gets crazy. Only God knows and I pray for His guidance as we take each next step!
Saturday, April 28, 2018
Wednesday, April 18, 2018
Horses
Riding lessons are going well. After the first day, all doubts were banished and both girls couldn't wait for the next week's lesson! They tack their horse each lesson to prepare it for riding. They learn about horses in history and the equipment they are using for their horses. They spend time riding their horse and for the most part, they are in control of their own horse the whole lesson when riding. The teacher takes four kiddos on horses at a time and teaches in the moment as they learn inside a large stable arena.
This week they learned to trot and sit properly while trotting. My oldest's horse was very interested and actually started loping, which brought a huge smile to my daughter's face. I really appreciate that their teacher trusts them with the horses and didn't try to stop the horse, she watched to see how my daughter handled the situation first...and she did beautifully!
At the end of each riding lesson they have a bible lesson and the teacher hands out a week's worth of daily devotions and a memory verse for them to work on. It's really neat. We have to drive quite a ways to get there, but for the lower cost and the awesome quality of the lessons, I'm very happy we were able to give the girls these lessons.
Our little man does super too. He sits in his big stroller and points at all the "neighs" and loves on the four dogs that come and check him out. He has a blast watching the horses. He also enjoys snacking during the lessons on his gluten free cereal and dried fruit. The first week he was nervous when he got close to the horses and saw how big they really are, but this last time he loved me helping him to pet the horses' noses.
I am pretty tired out after a long day of driving and keeping my little guy busy, but it is all worth it!
This week they learned to trot and sit properly while trotting. My oldest's horse was very interested and actually started loping, which brought a huge smile to my daughter's face. I really appreciate that their teacher trusts them with the horses and didn't try to stop the horse, she watched to see how my daughter handled the situation first...and she did beautifully!
At the end of each riding lesson they have a bible lesson and the teacher hands out a week's worth of daily devotions and a memory verse for them to work on. It's really neat. We have to drive quite a ways to get there, but for the lower cost and the awesome quality of the lessons, I'm very happy we were able to give the girls these lessons.
Our little man does super too. He sits in his big stroller and points at all the "neighs" and loves on the four dogs that come and check him out. He has a blast watching the horses. He also enjoys snacking during the lessons on his gluten free cereal and dried fruit. The first week he was nervous when he got close to the horses and saw how big they really are, but this last time he loved me helping him to pet the horses' noses.
I am pretty tired out after a long day of driving and keeping my little guy busy, but it is all worth it!
Saturday, April 14, 2018
Each Next Step
When life is overwhelming and when the future is unknown...you just keep taking the next step! We have committed to continue to take the next step towards moving until God closes the door.
I keep on chipping away at packing up the house, little by little, room by room. Our need for boxes was wonderfully solved with two huge truckloads of boxes from my father-in-law who works at a warehouse! God is so good. So far, He seems to be leading us towards moving.
We've done some painting and tons of decluttering. I've taken so many loads to the thrift store...and yes, I know I could probably make some money with a yard sale, but I don't want the stress of managing that kind of a project and am perfectly at ease dropping my items off for someone else to have. :)
My hubby's job has been so very positive in his desire to move. They have told him they would find a place for him wherever he decides to live (meaning office space...a rare commodity for his company!). They have also talked to a manager of the new building they are putting up in the town we are looking to move to about the potential of him being there and the manager was excited!
Then, we were surprised to learn that they had reviewed the market research of what people in his position make on average and gave his team a raise out of the blue! Whatever God is doing, He continues providing as we take each step.
I keep on chipping away at packing up the house, little by little, room by room. Our need for boxes was wonderfully solved with two huge truckloads of boxes from my father-in-law who works at a warehouse! God is so good. So far, He seems to be leading us towards moving.
We've done some painting and tons of decluttering. I've taken so many loads to the thrift store...and yes, I know I could probably make some money with a yard sale, but I don't want the stress of managing that kind of a project and am perfectly at ease dropping my items off for someone else to have. :)
My hubby's job has been so very positive in his desire to move. They have told him they would find a place for him wherever he decides to live (meaning office space...a rare commodity for his company!). They have also talked to a manager of the new building they are putting up in the town we are looking to move to about the potential of him being there and the manager was excited!
Then, we were surprised to learn that they had reviewed the market research of what people in his position make on average and gave his team a raise out of the blue! Whatever God is doing, He continues providing as we take each step.
Sunday, April 1, 2018
Busy Easter Weekend!
He is Risen! That is the highlight of the day today - Happy Easter & Happy Resurrection Day!
We enjoyed an intimate family morning watching service online and enjoying an egg hunt in the backyard. It was chilly, but not chilly enough to force us indoors. It was fun to see our Little Guy collect eggs, he didn't really get it, but he enjoys putting things into containers and dumping them, so it was right up his alley. He really loved tasting jelly beans for the first time! Our girls enjoyed their candies and we watched our new movie -The Last Jedi- as a family over dinner.
Our big surprise for the girls didn't get quite the response we had expected. We used some of our Christmas money to purchase horse riding lessons for a month. Our youngest daughter wasn't excited. She says she enjoys riding horses, but she's done that before. Our oldest is more excited and looking forward to it more. We shall see how it goes. I think they will enjoy it more than they think they will.
My hubby and I were DIY Weekend Warriors again this weekend. We painted our bathroom ceiling and patched up some holes from our old cabinet that we then replaced with a simple glass shelf and hand towel rod. It really makes our small bathroom look more finished and larger. Then today I spent the afternoon packing up more boxes and reorganizing some of the toys into our daughter's room. As I pack up I'm working on keeping things "show" worthy and still livable.
My hubby wants to contact a realtor in the next few weeks to see what they think our home might sell for and what improvements are worth investing in to get the best price for our home. It's too unknown to have a solid confidence in how I feel about it all. I'm just taking each step as it comes along and preparing in the most practical ways that I know how. The more I pack up, the more it feels real that we might move.
The biggest challenge is finding boxes to pack with. Buying them is crazy expensive and I don't have a job where I can find lots of boxes like I did when we were younger and moving apartments every other year. Craigslist has shown the most promise, and of course when I order from Sam's Club or Amazon, I get some good boxes. Diaper boxes are also a wonderful size!
We enjoyed an intimate family morning watching service online and enjoying an egg hunt in the backyard. It was chilly, but not chilly enough to force us indoors. It was fun to see our Little Guy collect eggs, he didn't really get it, but he enjoys putting things into containers and dumping them, so it was right up his alley. He really loved tasting jelly beans for the first time! Our girls enjoyed their candies and we watched our new movie -The Last Jedi- as a family over dinner.
Our big surprise for the girls didn't get quite the response we had expected. We used some of our Christmas money to purchase horse riding lessons for a month. Our youngest daughter wasn't excited. She says she enjoys riding horses, but she's done that before. Our oldest is more excited and looking forward to it more. We shall see how it goes. I think they will enjoy it more than they think they will.
My hubby and I were DIY Weekend Warriors again this weekend. We painted our bathroom ceiling and patched up some holes from our old cabinet that we then replaced with a simple glass shelf and hand towel rod. It really makes our small bathroom look more finished and larger. Then today I spent the afternoon packing up more boxes and reorganizing some of the toys into our daughter's room. As I pack up I'm working on keeping things "show" worthy and still livable.
My hubby wants to contact a realtor in the next few weeks to see what they think our home might sell for and what improvements are worth investing in to get the best price for our home. It's too unknown to have a solid confidence in how I feel about it all. I'm just taking each step as it comes along and preparing in the most practical ways that I know how. The more I pack up, the more it feels real that we might move.
The biggest challenge is finding boxes to pack with. Buying them is crazy expensive and I don't have a job where I can find lots of boxes like I did when we were younger and moving apartments every other year. Craigslist has shown the most promise, and of course when I order from Sam's Club or Amazon, I get some good boxes. Diaper boxes are also a wonderful size!
Tuesday, March 27, 2018
Spring Break!
We are all so thankful we made it to Spring Break! We have a playdate/sleepover planned with friends for the girls and a week of going at a slow pace...except for me, maybe. I'm busy working on the house and planning, but it's all what I want to be doing -so we're good!
It was exciting to see our oldest's cholesterol levels significantly lowered at her check up. (she inherited the high good-bad cholesterol levels that run in our family) She dreads the yearly blood draw, but it was so good to see the results. She hasn't focused on her diet all year and it went down by a lot! I attribute it to our diet (mainly low carb and less eating out). The doctor says it is also in part due to her age and growth. Kids her age tend to see their cholesterol dip in these early teen years, so we'll keep a yearly eye on how she's doing.
The Keystone Approach book came in and I read the majority of it in 2-3 days. My brain was overwhelmed with the amount of information, but I was so motivated to learn that I didn't want to take a slower pace. I took pages of notes and learned quite a lot about what foods help/hurt individuals who have arthritis and the science of why these foods react those ways. She gives a lot of helpful tips and hints, but not a specific diet to follow. I appreciate that because I always feel so skeptical of people who say that a specific type of diet is the "be-all, end-all" of ways to go.
She acknowledges that a low starch/carb diet is very helpful and gives ways to help achieve the best results possible. So my take-away from her book is learning some good specific ways to tweak our current way of eating to help my husband's health. I'm going to be decreasing nightshades, increasing cruciferous vegetables and antioxidant fruits, adding a fish oil supplement and vitamin D3 supplement, adding collagen peptides, and we'll try her suggested blend of probiotics -something that has been a hit or miss type thing with other AS sufferers in our FB group. I found it interesting that many fermented foods are not helpful for those with arthritis. That's part of why I really liked this book. Foods that are beneficial for many people, are not as beneficial for those fighting an auto-immune disease. Many of the Paleo Auto Immune Protocol recipes are a good match or simple to tweak for the foods she suggests. PS. Most of the supplement tweaks are specifically for my hubby, they are a bit on the pricy side!
I'm hopeful that my hubby will not only see relief from his current symptoms -oh, and I nearly forgot! He was diagnosed with an ID allergic reaction to his HRT patches, so it is NOT psoriasis, praise the Lord!!! I am hoping he will see an overall increase of feeling better with less pain and fewer flare ups.
It was exciting to see our oldest's cholesterol levels significantly lowered at her check up. (she inherited the high good-bad cholesterol levels that run in our family) She dreads the yearly blood draw, but it was so good to see the results. She hasn't focused on her diet all year and it went down by a lot! I attribute it to our diet (mainly low carb and less eating out). The doctor says it is also in part due to her age and growth. Kids her age tend to see their cholesterol dip in these early teen years, so we'll keep a yearly eye on how she's doing.
The Keystone Approach book came in and I read the majority of it in 2-3 days. My brain was overwhelmed with the amount of information, but I was so motivated to learn that I didn't want to take a slower pace. I took pages of notes and learned quite a lot about what foods help/hurt individuals who have arthritis and the science of why these foods react those ways. She gives a lot of helpful tips and hints, but not a specific diet to follow. I appreciate that because I always feel so skeptical of people who say that a specific type of diet is the "be-all, end-all" of ways to go.
She acknowledges that a low starch/carb diet is very helpful and gives ways to help achieve the best results possible. So my take-away from her book is learning some good specific ways to tweak our current way of eating to help my husband's health. I'm going to be decreasing nightshades, increasing cruciferous vegetables and antioxidant fruits, adding a fish oil supplement and vitamin D3 supplement, adding collagen peptides, and we'll try her suggested blend of probiotics -something that has been a hit or miss type thing with other AS sufferers in our FB group. I found it interesting that many fermented foods are not helpful for those with arthritis. That's part of why I really liked this book. Foods that are beneficial for many people, are not as beneficial for those fighting an auto-immune disease. Many of the Paleo Auto Immune Protocol recipes are a good match or simple to tweak for the foods she suggests. PS. Most of the supplement tweaks are specifically for my hubby, they are a bit on the pricy side!
I'm hopeful that my hubby will not only see relief from his current symptoms -oh, and I nearly forgot! He was diagnosed with an ID allergic reaction to his HRT patches, so it is NOT psoriasis, praise the Lord!!! I am hoping he will see an overall increase of feeling better with less pain and fewer flare ups.
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
New Path for Healthy Eating!
I am very excited about a new book I just ordered! It is written by Rebecca Fett and called, "The Keystone Approach." It specifically speaks to my husband's type of arthritis and his current struggles with what appears to be psoriasis symptoms. He's been struggling with this recent development and we're both very motivated to find some way to help him.
I read several reviews and the first three chapters of the book online. It has recent scientific information tied to the microbiome and more specifically how individuals with autoimmune diseases can eat real foods that promote a healthier system. I can't wait to read more on the "how" and "why" our bodies react the way they do to the foods we eat.
I know my hubby thinks I internet-diagnose, but in reality I research in depth so that I can understand a topic and then formulate my own opinions. I read the positives and negatives, I look for repeated themes and common ground in the various articles and websites I use. My favorite is to find references to a specific professional in the health/medical field because they often have the best in depth information to share when I specifically read what that professional has published.
We also received a gift of some Essential Oil samples that I am keen on trying once I am able to figure them out. I think diet is our highest priority, and the oils will be an additional help for symptoms as well.
I read several reviews and the first three chapters of the book online. It has recent scientific information tied to the microbiome and more specifically how individuals with autoimmune diseases can eat real foods that promote a healthier system. I can't wait to read more on the "how" and "why" our bodies react the way they do to the foods we eat.
I know my hubby thinks I internet-diagnose, but in reality I research in depth so that I can understand a topic and then formulate my own opinions. I read the positives and negatives, I look for repeated themes and common ground in the various articles and websites I use. My favorite is to find references to a specific professional in the health/medical field because they often have the best in depth information to share when I specifically read what that professional has published.
We also received a gift of some Essential Oil samples that I am keen on trying once I am able to figure them out. I think diet is our highest priority, and the oils will be an additional help for symptoms as well.
Wednesday, March 14, 2018
Health Updates, Food Updates, Etc.
Life continues to go on taking us along for the ride! My hubby has developed an allergic reaction to something, we believe it to be related to his arthritis somehow, but it also interferes with his current method of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) so it gets muddled into a complicated mess. Finding the source is not as easy as I would hope. It could be a reaction to his biologic arthritis medication. It could be that along with the added increase of histamine in his system too since he has had to stop his HRT until we hear from the doctor...his appointment is next month...reminding myself to be patient! It could also be just an arthritic complication of his disease -it's a progressive disease and compared to others with this disease he has been doing quite well before this happened.
I'm finding that our son still has some of the sensitivities he had as an infant. He can tolerate more of the offensive foods before reactions appear, not sure if that is progress or just that he is bigger now. Raisins were the most recent. He absolutely loves them and begs for them. He eats them by the fistful, literally grabbing as many as he can possibly manage and stuffs them into his face! Unfortunately, they are causing a minor rash similar to the one he had from the chicory root milk. He was eating organic raisins, so I'm going to try another brand to see if it makes a difference before giving up on raisins all together.
Chocolate is another food that he can tolerate in small amounts, but it is easier to avoid. It is a food that I have had trouble with when I over indulge or if my system is already struggling. Big bummer because I love chocolate! I am noticing that wheat and dairy still bother me when not eaten in moderation. I find it is easier to avoid those ingredients and indulge only at special times -in small amounts.
Finding a nutritional meal plan that meets our needs is challenging. There is so much conflicting information out there. I've basically resolved to focusing on a real food diet with less processed foods and less grain products.. I buy organic for the "dirty dozen" and focus on making the best choices in other foods as my budget allows.
I'm finding that our son still has some of the sensitivities he had as an infant. He can tolerate more of the offensive foods before reactions appear, not sure if that is progress or just that he is bigger now. Raisins were the most recent. He absolutely loves them and begs for them. He eats them by the fistful, literally grabbing as many as he can possibly manage and stuffs them into his face! Unfortunately, they are causing a minor rash similar to the one he had from the chicory root milk. He was eating organic raisins, so I'm going to try another brand to see if it makes a difference before giving up on raisins all together.
Chocolate is another food that he can tolerate in small amounts, but it is easier to avoid. It is a food that I have had trouble with when I over indulge or if my system is already struggling. Big bummer because I love chocolate! I am noticing that wheat and dairy still bother me when not eaten in moderation. I find it is easier to avoid those ingredients and indulge only at special times -in small amounts.
Finding a nutritional meal plan that meets our needs is challenging. There is so much conflicting information out there. I've basically resolved to focusing on a real food diet with less processed foods and less grain products.. I buy organic for the "dirty dozen" and focus on making the best choices in other foods as my budget allows.
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