Recharge

A whole new stack of wood!

This past week was yet another filled with a lot of work, deadlines, and generally long hours. This weekend was truly a time to just sit back and let myself recharge. Sometimes that means just laying around all day, taking time off. For me, a weekend filled with getting things done can be just as rewarding and leave me feeling energized. So I spent this Saturday cleaning, doing laundry, and just generally take care of a bunch of little chores that have been nagging at me but I haven't been able to finish.

Trevor also got a lot accomplished this weekend. We have been out of firewood for the last couple
of weeks, and so he decided to head up to his parents to pick some up. He ended up filling a whole trailer and the back of the van. This was a grueling task for him, even with his dad's help, so I was glad to be able to help him unload it on Sunday.

When will things get back to "normal" in my work life? I don't know, but I can't complain about having lots of work, so we'll see how this next week goes.

Just Breathe

I needed this weekend.

This week has been crazy, so even though we had the kids this weekend, it was still a relaxing time compared to the work week that I have had. You may have noticed the distinct lack of blog posts. We ended up having a great time hanging out and playing, generally having a fairly non-demanding time. Non-demanding is my favorite kind of time.

It is Ethan's birthday soon, so we did prepare a special birthday treat for him.

Can you guess what the answer is?

Here are some pictures from our time on Saturday.

I think the Ponies are eagerly awaiting Santa Claus

Pony time!

Enjoying some reading time.

Making Ethan's birthday cake!

Kid-Sitting

Now that Trevor and I have successfully completed our trial run as dog-sitters (mostly successful... the dog did eat a bunch of chicken bones, but he didn't die) we can now graduate to watching actual children. This is only the natural progression of things. We took this next step last night by watching Andrew and Kherrington.

The community gathers for some
good 'ol fashioned barn-raising

We had given Jason a "certificate of babysitting" for his birthday last month, and Jason and Kelly decided to cash it in and go on a valentines date. Trevor and I had a great time hanging out with their 'chillens. Kherrington was pretty tired before we even got there, so she just sat around looking sleepy until we put her to bed. Andrew was the opposite, a bundle of energy. We played Build a Fire, Put the Fire Out, Helmet-Head, Soccer, Lincoln Logs, and a million other little games before we settled down to watch a bit of Toy Story before mom and dad got home.

Denim Pants

I am an individual of two minds. On one hand, I really enjoy my time alone, just to sit, read, surf the internet, pray and just generally be by myself. On the other hand I like having things planned, and to know I have a busy week with lots of places to go and people to meet has it's own kind of excitement. With a trip to the cities and a trip to St. Cloud, BSF, plus lots of design work, this week surely fit into the "busy" category.

One of the highlights of this week was the shopping trip to St. Cloud for my mom and I. In my mind, the trip had one purpose: Jeans. Shopping for jeans is much like shopping for anything else specific: at first it's a lot of fun, then eventually you just want to find "the ones". As I had already been to virtually every store the Brainerd Lakes Area had to offer and tried on more jeans than I can count, I was very anxious to find "the ones".

Our shopping adventure started at Old Navy in St. Cloud. There is just something about the look, feel, and even smell of row upon row of fresh new clothes. They had a lot of great looking summer tops and jackets that I was just itching to peruse, yet I was drawn automatically to the pants section. And there it was. A literal wall of denim. If my perfect pair were not here, they surely would not be found anywhere!

It only took a couple tries to find them. "The ones". I don't know why, but somehow I always know right when I put them on, that they were meant for me. It was like meeting an old friend.

Of course, after all they're just denim pants.

White Bread and Grape Juice

The first Sunday of each month marks an important ritual of our faith, observed by many churches worldwide. Communion. Whether you are eating wine and crusty chunks of french bread, or grape juice and wafers, the true meaning is all about Christ's sacrifice of His body and blood on the cross to redeem us from our sins.

This Sunday was an unusual one. The Journey North, where we regularly attend, gave people the opportunity to commit or recommit their lives to Christ. It is always exciting to see people come to the realization that they need Jesus' saving grace, and this morning dozens of people made that decision over the 3 services. Communion was also done a little differently. Instead of passing the plate, each person came to the front, picked out a chunk of bread, and dunked it in a cup of grape juice before eating it.

I have to admit, although communion has great meaning for me as a Christian, whether or not my head is completely wrapped around the meaning behind it depends on the day. Yesterday was no exception, especially with the changes and all the people milling around and getting in line to partake of their communion portion. As our turn came, I tried to refocus and get my thoughts back in order.  Then I popped that little square of white bread in my mouth.

The first piece of bread that I have eaten in almost a month.

The flavor of it exploded on my tongue as the starches dissolved into sugary goodness. It tasted so sweet and chewy. At that moment I couldn't imagine the finest pastry tasting any better than that tiny square of bread. I have to admit, the only thoughts I had about God in that moment was how thankful I was that he has created wheat so that we could make bread.

I'm sure he will forgive me.

Super Sunday

Today was perfect. The first day off of the diet and back to my normal life, how could it not be?! It started off with a nice breakfast of Kashi and banana. I know, you can't believe I restrained myself and didn't go for the bacon and donuts (or maybe a bacon-flavored donut), but I really tried to not overdo it today. The last thing I wanted was to feel sick from a transition taken too quickly.

Impatiently awaiting the unbagging ritual

The kids really wanted to go to McDonalds for lunch. The reasoning for this started a couple weeks ago, when they became aware of the fact that they had gotten money for Christmas that they could spend on whatever they wanted. For some reason (probably advertising related... I can't believe those people) what they most wanted to buy was happy meals. Not just the toy, the whole meal.

I tried to explain to the them that a happy meal is nothing more than the food we already buy them, plus a toy, but they wouldn't be swayed. So we relented, and they got to approach the counter at Micky D's, cash in their hot little hands to order their own food.

I'm sure the toys are broken by now. Let this be a lesson to them.

I'm excited, but only because I haven't tasted one yet.

Regardless, they had fun spending their money and I got to eat fast food again. It was kind of a let-down. My fries were not very fresh.

To add the finishing touches to this day, we got to hang out with some awesome people at my brother and sister-in-law's to watch the Super Bowl. The spread was amazing, and I got to sample a little of everything. I didn't eat too much and the food seems to be agreeing with me, so I guess I have properly re-entered normal food society. Success!

Trevor's "Why did we have to go to McDonald's?" face.

RELEASE THE KRAKEN!!!

The mythical beast has been released, uncaged to inflict agony and
destruction unto the masses.

Stickers? This toy is complicated!

Saturday in Pictures

Today was a blur. The kids couldn't come until this morning, because Aspen had a Girl Scout meeting last night, so the remaining Saturday hours were a whirlwind of pizza-eating, bracelet-making, and video-game playing. Sometimes pictures speak louder than words, so here is a few from today.

Aspen enjoying her pizza... maybe a little too much. 

Mmmmmmm, PB&J

Which is pizza? Trevor confused!

The beads all ready for some craftin'

The completed collar, masterfully crafted by a master craftsman

The finished products

Awww, look how happy they are!

Finally dinnertime, and fried potatoes to go with
our baked chicken and green beans.

One Last Day

Today is my last day.

These last couple of days have been some of the hardest of this experience. I don't know why as I approach the end all the foods that I can't have start to look amazing and the thought of making one more healthy meal seems so unappetizing. Yet I have persevered, and I am very proud of my accomplishments. My willpower has won out, even though I didn't see the results that I had hoped to see. I will finish this race.

Just one more.

One more breakfast, one more lunch, one more dinner. I can do one more day.

I am looking forward to eating out, eating with friends, and not having to give an order at the coffee shop that took 15 minutes to communicate (plain oatmeal, no sugar/salt mix, no milk). I hope I can retain some sort of the appreciation of how simple it is to just be able to eat whatever I want, even if I choose not to eat certain things. I am excited to try some new recipes and not have to figure out a bunch of substitutions.

It has been an adventure, but I am ready to get back to normal life. That is enough of an adventure for me!

A Few of my Favorite Things

Doritos and choc'late and pizza and pasta...

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens may be all well and good, but right now, I have been battling some serious food cravings. I'm not the type to sit down and eat a whole bag of anything (not anymore at least), but I definitely have been missing a few of my favorites. When I went to the store yesterday and got to buy some "normal" food along with a few last items to finish off the last couple days of my diet, it was awesome. I could almost taste them (but I didn't, not yet!).

It's strange, that so many foods that were normal to me just a month ago seems like a huge treat. I wish there was some way to keep that mentality, yet I know that eventually eating like I normally do will seem "normal" again. I feel like it is inevitable.

There are a few things that I would like to maintain from this month. I would like to keep on trying new recipes, new seasonings, and new techniques of cooking and baking. I would like to be more conscious of what is in a lot of the processed foods that I eat. I would like to keep eating a lot more fruits and incorporating more vegetables into our dinners. I would like to find a fast alternative to frozen pizza!

I'm sorry, but I have to go now. I've got something simmering in my bright copper kettle, and then I must put on my warm woolen mittens and head out to get some more wood!

Wild Rice Pilaf

Yesterday I got to try another recipe that I've had a restaurants, but never made at home, Wild Rice Pilaf. Trevor is usually the go-to guy for all things rice, and he can make some amazing rice dishes. I was glad to throw my hat into the ring and try out a rice dish of my own. Wild rice is my favorite type of rice, so it seems like a good place to start.

Wild Rice Pilaf
1 cup wild rice
1 cup cooked chicken, thin slices
2 carrots, sliced thinly
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
salt to taste

Prepare the wild rice as directed on the package. Meanwhile, saute the carrots until semi-soft, then add the onions and mushrooms. Saute until the vegetables reach desired consistency. Add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the wild rice and chicken.

Third Time's the Charm

As my diet approaches it's close, I find myself looking for ways to use up the rest of the specialty flours and oils that I purchased almost a month ago. What better way than to take a third stab at making the perfect everything-free banana bread!

It turned out really good!  Trevor said it was one of the best banana breads he has ever had. Not bad for not using any sugar, butter, or eggs! I made some more revisions this time around, and will update my earlier blog post with the new recipe so if anyone wants to try it they can.

Staying on Target

As of today, I have less than a week to go on my elimination diet. In some ways this diet had gotten easier and easier as time is passed, but it is not something that I would like to do forever. While I am disappointed that I have not seen any change in my symptoms, I am relieved that I can go back to eating bread and cheese soon. I have an increased respect for those with allergies that can't eat these foods, as I have walked in their shoes for almost a month.

How I picture Kelly and Jason's

upcoming Superbowl party.

On the other hand, in some ways this diet gets harder by the day. It's not working, I don't have food allergies, so what is the point of continuing? I am a stubborn person who likes to finish what I start, yet it is difficult to continue something with so little reason. Yet the doctor said four weeks, so I will continue.

My ending point should be next Tuesday, yet this Sunday marks a "holiday" in all of the United States. Next to Thanksgiving, the Super Bowl is the one of the big food-focused gatherings and I am considering stopping my diet early in order to partake of the festivities. I could do as I have been doing for the past month and bring my own snacks, yet I am not sure that 2 days will make that much of a difference. Besides, I can't think of a better way to welcome myself back into the world of real food than a potluck, friends, and football!

Dogsitting

The past couple of days we have had the pleasure of watching my parents Dachsundt, Dewey.

For the most part it has been a pleasure.

My parents dropped Dewey off on Saturday night. Everything went fairly smoothly at first. Dewey is a fun little dog who loves to sleep, cuddle, play, eat, and sleep some more. As I write this my laptop is sitting on top of him on my lap because he wanted to be close to me. He doesn't seem to mind.

The hardest thing for us is remembering that he is there at mealtimes. Usually we just plop the food down on the table, making several trips to the kitchen for anything we forgot. Inevitably, we left our plates out after dinner just long enough for Dewey to take a swipe at the leftovers. Unfortunately, we had chicken and the leftovers were chicken bones.

He seemed OK that night, but the next day he wouldn't eat and was acting strangely. Sure enough, soon he threw up on our carpet and on his blanket. I cleaned up the carpet, washed the blanket, and installed him on the blanket next to the fire. He threw up on the blanket again. So the blanket goes into the wash for the second time that morning, and he goes in his kennel.

After a couple of hours I check on him to find he has pooped in the kennel, and made a mess of things. So he comes out of the kennel, back onto the blanket while I wash all of his kennel blankets.

*sigh*

Fortunately, he started eating again soon afterwards, and has been fine since then. I am glad that nothing else went wrong, as chicken bones can cause a lot of problems if they splinter in a dog's stomach. Luckily, as I have learned from experience, Dachsundts have iron constitutions, and can eat almost anything with little to no repercussions.

Is there room for one more by the fire, Dewey?

Dewey's new favorite spot in our house is in front of the fireplace. I put his freshly laundered blanket there yesterday and he immediately began nudging it as close to the fire as possible. I can't blame him, in front of the fireplace is my favorite spot too! At -7 degrees today, I just may join him there.