Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and

the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." 2 Cor. 13:14

p.s.- I hope to blog again when things settle down. It's ok to hope, right?

Dairy Free Dinner

To all my friends going through dietary changes, with LOVE!

Here is a {dairy, corn, peanut, egg-free} not-so-dirty Dirty Rice:

1 lb. lean ground beef {there's no draining}

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 celery ribs, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 T. chopped fresh parsley

1 green pepper, chopped {Here is a short cut...buy the celery, onion, parsley and pepper frozen combo in the grocery store OR I freeze extras when I chop them for other recipes}

- Cook in a large skillet over medium-high, stirring until beef crumbles and is no longer pink.

1 tsp. salt

pinch of red pepper

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

- Stir in seasonings, stirring well.

1 c. uncooked rice

1 can beef broth

3/4 c. water

-Add rice, broth, and water, stirring well. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25-30 minutes until rice is tender.

You'll never go back to Hamburger Helper! (or Bog*****s)

Luke's 18 Month Stats

This morning we headed to the pediatrician for Luke's well check. I made the mistake of giving the kids apple juice before the appointment and they were bouncing off the walls in the waiting room. We resorted to singing songs with hand motions. I have a singing voice that usually I don't broadcast, so you can feel confident that I was at the bottom of my barrel for activities!

Here are his measurements:

34 inches in length (90 %)

29 lbs. 6 oz. (85 %)

I am thankful he is doing well and the doctor heard no heart murmur this time! Allergies continue to plague us. The past few days I have given him goldfish and they seem to have made him spotted. :) He doesn't appear to be in pain, though. Also, I ate popcorn Friday night and I fear that I may have a corn allergy or some form of sensitivity, too. It might have to do with cutting it out of my diet for so long, but I have been in pain until today.

On a lighter note, I have been amazed at how quickly Luke's language development has progressed. I love the fact that he communicates so well with me. One of the biggest joys is his acquisition of the word "happy." I am not sure where or when he learned it, but if you can't tell by the smile on his face, he will remind you that he is "Happy."

I just wanted to encourage all you moms that have children with allergies to persevere! I know that it is difficult, but I trust they will find a place of happiness and peace (and their parents will reap that reward as well!).

New Commitment for the New Year

Let me start by thanking God for keeping my spirits up this winter. Maybe it has something to do with staying so busy that I cannot wallow in self-pity (and I can certainly be thankful for that) or maybe it has to do with a wonderful job and wonderful friends and a wonderful husband and a wonderful, generous friend and aunt that lives upstairs. Let's just say that I have LOTS to be thankful for! A few days ago I wasn't quite so excited about my circumstances. It could have been hormonal. It could have been high and mistaken expectations. It was not well-received by my husband.

Yesterday, we received a bulletin from our previous church, First Presbyterian Church of Columbia, and there was a covenant for reflecting on as we begin this new year. It is a covenant renewal prayer adapted from one used by John Wesley. I must admit that it was just what I needed. I thought that it might be a commitment others might need to make in 2011, so I wanted to post for you and so that I can be reminded of my commitment to God in the year ahead.

The Covenant

I am no longer my own, but yours.

Put me to what you will,

Place me with whom you will.

Put me to doing, put me to suffering;

Let me be employed for you or laid aside for you,

Exalted for you or brought low for you.

Let me be full, let me be empty;

Let me have all things, let me have nothing.

I freely and heartily yield all things

To your pleasure and disposal.

And now, O glorious and blessed God,

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:

You are mine and I am yours. May it be so!

And may the covenant which I have made

here on earth

Be confirmed in heaven.

Amen.

I will fully admit that the first 10 lines were oh, so painful to type. I don't want to be poured out and surrender the false gods I so easily can come to embrace. My heart so often treasures earthly comfort more than heavenly joy. I draw hope from the contrast that follows "And now." It is a reminder that causes me to take my eyes off of what I may be giving up and place my eyes on the incomparable riches of Him. God is MORE than anything I could ever give up on this earth. He alone is the treasure on which I desire to build my life!

Recap of 2010

Today I was thinking about all our changes this year. Since I have had a dormant blog for a couple of months, I thought this would be a great place to write down some thoughts about all that has taken place.

This has been a very interesting year for our family. In many ways I have seen God's abundant grace, and through some difficult challenges, growth has really occurred in our lives. Here is a month-by-month brief description of what has gone on...

January- Chad offered an opportunity to work at the CFA of Clemson. What does the Lord have for us? Waiting...

February- Our house sells, free living arrangements bestowed, sad goodbye to Pennington friends, warm welcome to Tiger Town, trusting God to redeem, embraced by prayers.

March- New job with new friends, Prodigal God reaches out to us, treasured memories hiking as a family, Clemson baseball, our hearts awaken with the spring.

April- Reuniting with old friends as a new family, crawling boy, imagination blossoms, pouring myself out as a mom, beautiful views, Christ has risen indeed!

May- Tragic slip but miraculous protection, allergies fully discovered, tired Daddy, evening picnics after afternoon hikes.

June- Birthday at the Zoo, evening boat rides, The Happy Berry makes us VERY happy, grilling on our terrace.

July- Chad becomes a manager, Greer learns she is not the boss via swim lessons and Debbie the Drill Sergeant, blueberries, I celebrated my birthday with April, Debbie, Dabo, and the Clemson football players at the Ladies Clinic.

August- Greer goes to Marmie and Poppie Camp with the cousins, trip to visit Ash and Bax in NC, Luke's first birthday, Fan Appreciation Day and sliding down THE Hill, reuniting with the Chick-fil-A sandwich :), Chad moves to CFA of Seneca.

September- First Friday with old and new friends, Daddy and the cows in the First Friday parade, hiking with friends, football weekends with Bax, Ash, and Paul, Community Bible Study, new CP group with the Finleys.

October- a mini-vacation to see the Tigers play in Chapel Hill with Pennington friends, Lazy 5 Ranch with Ash and Bax on the way, continuing the allergen-free diet for Luke, I started working in the CFA office on mornings when Chad was off.

November- Luke discovers the joy of climbing on everything, pumpkin pancakes, Thanksgiving Day with the Tidds.

December- Jesse Tree Devotions, Greer and Daddy date to Clemson Symphony Concert, Greer covers her ears during the entire Christmas program at CBS, early Christmas with the Fowlers in Seneca, my kids scream at Santa, Christmas chaos with all the cousins in Simpsonville (and great food and fellowship!).

Reflecting on the past year, I am reminded on how much I NEED Christ in the midst of my parenting, friendships, time, marriage- just to name a few. This year has been one of new friends and sweet fellowship in our study of the Word. As we sit on the edge of Lake Keowee, I am amazed at how God brought us here and gave us a visual reminder through the beautiful lake of his provisions for our growth.

Greer and I have enjoyed praying each night before bed and each night we entrust our future to God. Usually those prayers are interwoven with thanks for the investment Herb and Karil are making in our lives. Words do not begin to describe how much we appreciate the way they share their lives and business with us. They are great friends as well as mentors in every area of our lives.

Our lives are so rich with a beautiful family, a wealth of people who love us, and so many people that we care deeply about. We trust that God's direction for our lives is good and perfect. We take comfort that He leads our 2011.

Dairy Free Meals

Here is an idea of what I ate throughout the day... (some things are not appropriate for young children)

All day: fresh fruit, dried fruit, fruit juice, nuts

Breakfast: bagels, granola with rice milk or almond milk, cereal, cinnamon toast, fruit smoothie, grits (prior to corn allergy), homemade granola bars (I ate prior to L's peanut allergy diagnosis), dairy-free oatmeal, pumpkin bread, applesauce bread, zucchini bread

Lunch: leftovers, wraps, peanut butter and jelly sandwich, peanut butter and honey sandwich, ham sandwich, turkey sandwich, chicken salad sandwich, baked potatoes, hummus

Dinner: Here is a link to many of the recipes I have used, just modify any milk to rice milk and butter to a vegan kind.

I forgot to mention previously that Ghiradelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips are dairy free, so enjoy!

Shopping for Dairy Free Products

The hardest part of going dairy-free is that it is in everything! Dairy is a preservative that is used in so many different foods that it isn't safe to just try something without having an ingredient list. I have often explained to my husband that one bite is not worth the 2 weeks of pain that my child experiences (or me dealing with his change of behavior).

A short cut to checking the ingredient list is to make yourself familiar with the Kosher labeling system. You can look for a symbol that indicates whether or not the product has dairy. Be advised that sometimes a product will have a K with a "D" underneath (indicating dairy is in the product) when it is processed on shared equipment. Important when buying cookies. :)

Anyway, here are some staples that we depended on...

Hormel Natural Choice sandwich meats (available at most grocery stores)

Arnold Whole Wheat or Potato Bread

Earth Balance or Smart Balance Vegan Butter Substitute

Earth Balance Vegan Butter Sticks (available at health food stores)

Rice Milk was my preferred milk sub. in cereal or baking

Oreos :)

I just found some oatmeal packets by Better Oats that are great

Some Nature Valley Granola Bars

PETA's website has other options

This diet really pushed me to incorporate as many whole foods as possible in my diet. I found that in order to feed my family in a timely manner, it was necessary to cook enough at night that we could have leftovers for lunch. That also helped me to get enough calories to nurse. Also, I tried to make as much as I could at home so that I was sure of the ingredients. Examples would include granola, breads, soups, and chicken broth.

Some Things I Learned about Nutrition: Besides how much I am annoyed with processed food? Oh yes, another soap box. I went to a nutritionist when L was about 3 months old, and despite the disappointment over her lack of awareness on the topic, I was helped by her suggestion that I count grams of protein. It was a good way for me to keep track of what I was eating without getting bogged down in too many details. It reminded me to put that extra slice or two of deli meat on my sandwich. My goal was to have 70-80 grams of protein each day. That broke down to be three meals of 18-20 grams and two snacks of 10-15 grams. My snacks were usually while Greer snacked. I apparently overdid the peanut butter because I am now dealing with L having a peanut allergy.