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.

Milk Allergy 101

As many of you know, we are going through a transition in our house. At one year of age most children usually outgrow their milk allergy. Greer did and now I am in the middle of testing Luke, so I thought that I should take this opportunity to impart all that I have learned in case someone else might need it. :( Remember that the only authority I have is experience, so don't take my comments too seriously.

Diagnosing a Milk Allergy: Some of the symptoms that I observed in my kids were projectile vomit (in quantities that would lead you to believe that they threw up everything they ate), green stools that are very loose and may have traces of blood (take a sample to your pediatrician for testing to confirm that blood is present), uncomfortable and gassy behavior (G wasn't this way, but Luke certainly was), frequent spitting up (again, L and not G).

Here is an example of one of Luke's diapers...

Nursing with this Allergy: I am very thankful that G's pediatrician encouraged me to continue nursing and just try eliminating dairy from my diet. Little did I know what a journey this would lead me to personally. I have had to battle emotionally as at times I felt different from everyone around me. Having to look at every label is so tedious and with G I would feel guilty if I slipped up and ate something with dairy. On top of the emotion is the battle of feeling constantly hungry with little to no relief. It really is worth it, though. It is like that feeling you get post-delivery when you stop to think "Wow! That is amazing! I can't believe I just did something that hard!" Two very different types of hard. I feel like I am just completing a marathon, but the best part is that it was for my child's benefit. HUGE lessons and growth! That said, I wouldn't slight anyone in the least for choosing a different option.

Eating Out with a Milk Allergy: Let me preface this by saying that L not only has a milk allergy, but also peanut, egg, and corn. Kinda limits my options and willingness to "just try" something new. Since my previous experience with G, restaurants have become much more helpful disclosing ingredients and allergens on their websites. Check there first, but don't assume that it is always accurate. Here's what I eat when I go out...

Chick-fil-A: Waffle Fries, Side Salad without cheese and either Fat Free Italian Dressing or Berry Balsamic

Panera Bread: Turkey on Country Bread, some bagels, Vegetarian Black Bean Soup, apples, french bread, chips (Ask to see allergen book that all stores keep on site. I prefer to hold the book myself as opposed to letting someone look for me.)

PF Changs: Most items are dairy-free, but ask your wait staff to be sure. Of course, overlook the desserts. We ate there every night while we went on a weekend trip, and we discovered the egg allergy when I apparently ate too much egg drop soup.

Firehouse Subs: A recent discovery since I didn't have there allergy info with G and didn't check until recently. I ate Hook and Ladder without cheese.

Subway: I get a turkey on white or wheat with no cheese.

Not glamorous, but hopefully enough to get someone by for a year. Beware of trying something you haven't seen an ingredient list on. Since dairy is found in many preservatives, it can be found in the craziest of places. I have read that McDonalds' french fries have dairy.

I have also found that local restaurants are usually pretty willing to help you find something that may be dairy free, if you explain the situation. When I visit at home (Mullins), I know that I can eat Fred's fried chicken and a hamburger steak at Pizza Shak. Good options considering all the butter that can be found in most southern cooking!

Next post: Buying Dairy Free and Cooking Dairy Free

Happy Birthday Luke!

I am amazed at how quickly the year has gone by! I have to admit that there were days where your birthday couldn't come soon enough and here it is. Such a relief to your momma (and probably you, too, but thankfully you can't say so)! You are a great joy and blessing to your whole family! You have a adorable smile and a fearless spirit that are going to make you a great leader and an awesome friend. Here are some of your favorites on your first birthday:

Favorite Foods: blueberries, strawberries, bananas, guacamole, mashed potatoes, and peaches

Favorite People: Momma (you are a little clingy), Big Sissy- Greer, Da da (you are very good at his name), Mr. Herb

Favorite Toys: anything that will enable you to walk- stroller, bus, broom, chair; balls; books; cooking toys; anything that is off-limits and elicits a "no" from Momma and Daddy

Favorite Things to Do: go on a walk outside, listen to music and dance, take a bath, brush your teeth, babble, ignore your sister's instructions, smile

Favorite Song: "If You're Happy and You Know It"

We love you very much and are excited about the journey of parenting that we will have with you! Thank you for blessing our lives! Thank you God for allowing us the opportunity to love Luke. We know that you love him far more than we ever could and we pray for your will in his life.

The God Who Sees

If I were to be honest, the question that plagues my mind is not "Does God exist?" Rather, in the darkness of my selfish wanderings I often ask "Does God see me and does He care?" Along the same lines, I don't question God's intervention in the big areas of my life. I feel very confident that He has placed me in the right family, given me a (wonderful) husband, and directed my many steps thus far. The problem I face is finding him as I sit behind a slow driver, misplace a valued item, or struggle to pay an unexpected bill.

Last week while Greer was taking swimming lessons, I was privy to an experience that left me calling out a resounding "yes" to the question "Does God care?" and reminded me that God's love goes before me and hems me in from behind. Let me share the story with you...

The class of 7 and 8-year-olds that followed Greer's class had just begun and the students were sitting on the edge of the pool. One of the participants, we'll call her Sarah, came around the gate. She was late and her mother dropped her off before going to find a parking place. Sarah walked around the pool to join her class, but before she could get all of the way to them, they began oohing and aahing over her new bathing suit. One girl shouted out, "WOW! I love your new bathing suit. The colors are so pretty!" Even the boys joined in with compliments. By the time that she had arrived at her position, everyone had given their unanimous approval of her new suit.

Not such an uncommon experience you might think, until you learn that Sarah is about 50 pounds overweight, and is probably not used to getting complimented on her appearance. I joined most of the onlookers in being excited that a group of children who are more likely to tear others down with their words, had elevated this little girl to walking on the clouds.

About that time her mother entered the gate unaware of what had just taken place, so I shared with her the class' approval of Sarah's new bathing suit. She told me that they were late because Sarah had refused to put on this new swimsuit, and it took the convincing of her great-grandmother to get her to wear it. Ding-Ding-Ding A light went off in my head. HE SAW. None of those children knew that the lime green tank with cut outs on each side and fluorescent peace symbols throughout had brought Sarah such a sense of embarrassment, but the God of the universe chose them to remind this little girl that she was indeed the object of his delight.

The lesson for me that day- God's delight is not reserved for those that have it all together. God's delight is not reserved for those that wear the right size or have the large bank account or have the right personality. God sees all of life's seemingly mundane events and orchestrates them to prove that He is The One Who Sees. My response is to turn from staring at what clouds my view (the problems of life) and to gaze into the character of the God who loves and delights in me so that I might be privileged to love and delight in Him. Even today I needed this reminder to lift me up from the focus on self that has trapped my thinking. Thank you God for opening my eyes to your glory and helping me see!

Fort Hill Dentistry

Monday, June 21st was one of the proudest moments of my life. My brother, Mark, and his wife, April, had the ribbon cutting and open house for their new business, Fort Hill Family Dentistry. I have been so privileged to live nearby and see all of the work that they have done to see their dream come to fruition. It is amazing to see all the details they thought out and their research into all the equipment. Can I just tell you how much I am looking forward to falling asleep in one of those comfy chairs while I have my teeth cleaned (for free)?

As Chad and I have embarked on our Chick-fil-A journey, we have started really observing what it takes to own your own business. Mark and April have been such a model to us of how to love our community. When they moved back to Clemson last year, they jumped right into building into the people around them. I cannot go anywhere with these two without April seeing someone she knows! It is wonderful! The best part is that their actions aren't for the purpose of "building" a business or to get customers; it is to impact their community with the light of Christ. Thank you Mark and April for being wonderful friends to us, for letting us share in your joy, and for demonstrating how God longs to use people for His glory!

Mark and April in front of the sign

Their office in downtown Clemson, SC

My mom and Greer reading in the office

Greer sitting in "Uncle Marky's" office chair

Ribbon Cutting with Clemson's Chamber of Commerce

Mark's J. Crew pose

Luke and my Aunt Karen at the Open House

ps...If you live in the Clemson area, be sure to schedule an appt! The title above is a link to their website.