Alligators and Crocodiles

No, this is not a post about the National Championship or Tebow. This is a special entry just for Brittney.

My new shoes - crocs. I know. I know. I know. You either love them or you hate them. I'm pretty much somewhere in the middle. I don't have a pair in every color. I don't have little things to decorate them either. I don't think they are a trendsetter, but I do have to agree they are comfortable and practical. I do have three pair: alice, prima, and mary janes. When I need a new pair of flats, I think they should be comfortable and not too expensive. With crocs outlet (and a coupon code), I think it's typically a good buy. My primas and alice, are great with jeans, pants, and even skirts. My mary janes have yet to be worn, but I think theyre great for canoe trips and such.

I think some people need to give them a chance, maybe just buy them as house shoes or gardening shoes. I also think there are some people that need to give the crocs a rest and not wear them every day. However, I do tend to think, like most things, there is a time a place where they are appropriate.

If anyone is looking for a gift to buy my near British friend, please look up the most hideous color and design possible.

a not so relaxing day off

So, it's Friday. I typically don't work on Fridays and Mike and I try to use the afternoon as our productive time around the house, errands, bills, etc. Saturday tends to be more of our Sabbath. Today, was a bit different than usual.

I had a meeting at work at 3:00pm. It last for 2.5 hours. Needless to say, I wasn't much up for the game night or girl's night out I was invited too. Luckily, Mike took care of all the Christmas decorations and was ready to take me out to eat when I got home. Unfortunately, eating out is an adventure with Celiac. Red Robin is my friend though. (I dreamed about their french fries last night.) So, off we went. Since I didn't pull myself out of bed until 11, I skipped lunch. By dinner time, I was starving. I did manage to enjoy some peanuts during my meeting at work though. Well, Red Robin was packed. I ordered my usual burger (minus the bun) gluten free. The waiter was pretty swamped and had no idea what I was talking about. By this time, I was feeling pretty sick. I wasn't sure if I needed some food, or a bathroom. The first round of fries were a good choice. But by the second round and cheeseburger arrived, I was ready to leave and my stomach was ready for.....not something to be in it.

So, I asked for a box. Mike asked for the check. I think he was able to finish his meal. And we were out the door. I felt really nauseated and dizzy and weak by this time. I warned Mike that we might have to make a pit stop on the way home. We made it home ok and I hurried to the bathroom and requested some pajamas from my dear old hubby. After a somewhat normal trip to bathroom and a couple checks of my temperature, I was feeling normal again.

The cause: I think the peanuts are apparently NOT gluten free. No, they don't have wheat or that in them, but I think they must be manufactured/packaged in a wheat plant. Otherwise, something else didn't agree with me. (I had some rice cereal for breakfast.) ::sigh:: It's still great to know the reason I'm sick, but does NOT make it any more enjoyable. Thank goodness tomorrow is another day to sleep in!

Roasted Chicken

I had such a good experience with my chicken, I thought I would share the recipe.

Buy a whole chicken.
Trim any excess fat off and remove the gizzards and such.
Pat dry with a paper towel.
Pour 1/2 cup wateror chicken broth in roasting pan or crockpot.
Place chicken in crockpot.
Squirt fresh lemon juice all over the chicken and inside the cavity. Insert lemon inside chicken.
Sprinkle with spice and herbs (my choice was salt, pepper, and rosemary)
Cook for 3-4 hours on high or ~8 hours on low in crockpot.

Check on the chicken at least once during cooking. Use a baster to squirt liquid on the chicken.
If the liquids dry out, add an additional 1/2 cup water or chicken broth.

WARNING: use caution in removing the chicken. The meat will be so moist that it will literally fall apart.

New Beginnings

After the trip around Florida, we settled back in and I attempted to get my life in order. I hit some speed bumps along the way, but I think I can look back with a smile and feel productive, for the most part. I now have a schedule of 42 main courses for dinner that will double as lunches the next day. And yes, these are all Gluten free. Most of them are already gluten free, but a few had to be altered. I've started to work on a daily schedule and weekly schedule to help keep us moving and intentional with our time. As an extra, we also went over some "chores" to divide them up and seem to very pleased with where things are headed.

Tonight, I'm making my first new dish - Roasted Chicken (a whole one) in the crockpot. Becky and Graham managed to do this a few times and I was inspired to try it myself. I do have to say that it doesn't seem like a money saving idea compared to the rotisserie's at the grocery. Unfortunately, I can't do those anymore, so I'm off on my own. I managed to even take out the organs by myself (and bare hands) and had it set up to go before work. It cooked all day and was ready to go by the time I returned home. Now, I'm trying my second dish - sweet potatoes and carrots. Once, those are done baking, we're off to dinner.

I'm pretty impressed by my new system, but let's hold off to make sure that the theory is as good in practice. With this chicken, we'll eat it tonight and some for leftovers for lunch. A new meal is tomorrow, but using leftovers from last night. On Thursday, we'll add the leftover chicken to paella and even use the chicken broth I'll make from the juices. I'm pretty excited to see how well this works.

So, back to school for me. A week FILLED with extra duties here and there too. These are all things I'm excited about, but had no idea how much I had on my plate at one time. So for now, I'm off to dinner and to spend time with Mike before we head out again.

Happy New Year!

This time last year, we were on our way back from Ireland. Although it was a great vacation, we spent most of the time, at least day lit hours, site-seeing. We did not get the rest we needed or desired. However, we were just beginning to understand our love for photography.

Well, this year, we barely made it to midnight. We feel the weight of life a little more than last year, but we think we are rounding the top of the hill. Some diet changes and exercise plans (thank you wii fit) have already shown some small changes in our lives. We are grateful for the eye opening procedures, but sorry it took us so long to figure it out. (My wii fit age was 47.)

So, with a new year, comes new things. This year, like last, one of my biggest resolutions is to spend more time in the Word of God and grow in my relationship with Christ. I have struggled to get through the Bible in a year and have decided to try the chronological reading plan for 2009. I'm pretty excited about that, except for making my way through the entire Old Testament before on to the New.

Most of this week was spent organizing my life, meals, guest room/office, and cleaning. The Christmas tree is still up, but will be finding its way to a box shortly. (sad) Back to work on Monday. The church move in to a new office...and it is a BIG step up from before. Lot's of changes are coming our way.

Next on the list, photography. Some friends are working on a logo and website for me. I hope to have that up and running in a month or so. Business cards will soon follow and I'm hoping the spring will bring some new life within the business. Ideally, I would love to concentrate fully on photography, but otherwise I will be looking for a new job over the summer. Your prayers are greatly appreciated.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas - I love it! I'm the one who wants to start playing Christmas music and put up the decorations right after Halloween. I'm always disturbed at how early the stores prepare for the next holiday, except for Christmas. Somehow, I think I would be ok if Christmas stuff was out ALL year. And if nothing else, we really should celebrate Christmas in July as well.

So, with both excitement and anxiousness, Mike and I set out on a three city tour of Florida in 7 days. Surprisingly, we found some time to relax, spend time with friends, enjoy both sides of the family, and even get time with each other. We were very pleased with our visit. The lack of drama is something we embrace. Pleasantly surprised!

For an official report, my biopsies were confirmed as Celiac Disease. I already feel much better, in even a short amount of time. I can easily pinpoint if I eat something I shouldn't have, but the recovery is miserable. Luckily, we have started to find our way around the grocery, kitchen, and even eating out (thank you Red Robin, Jason's Deli, and Outback). And to make it even more feasible, Mike's family took really good care of me. They made me a crustless Pumpkin Pie, Turkey pie with potatoes instead of crust, and had plenty of fruit for me to enjoy. And, one of my Christmas presents was a bag FULL of Gluten-free food and a cookbook! It's much more comforting now.

So, after my upgrade for a camera, we had several other surprises. My sister and dad bought us the Wii Fit. And may is that entertaining! You should see Mike hula hoop 8 hoops at once! His little mii even does his pelvic rotation crazy dance! It's a great work out, especially when it's raining too. Ontop of all that, we have some gift certificates to spend, clothes to wear (including the good ole underwear), and toys to break in. THANK YOU SANTA!

On a completely different note, I'm trying to get this photography business up and running and make it more of a stable thing. Hopefully the website and such will be up and running shortly. I've posted a few photos from our time in Florida, including a maternity session with Graham and Becky (our old roommates and dear friends) filled (literally) with joy for the new addition expected in March. There should be more photos to view at the website and Facebook.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

  
 

It is finished.

This time last week, I had no idea what I would encounter in the days ahead. Mike and I were able t escape for a few days and had an incredible break. I got greedy quickly and began longing for Christmas break and another weekend away. Sunday I felt sick again. And then...it was Monday.

We had already decided that it was going to be difficult to fit my birthday celebration, so Monday we had set aside for dinner. Monday morning, I received a phone call. The doctor. My results came back from the previous week - abnormal. They asked to schedule a epsoejaherj. I had no idea, what the lady was talking about. Finally, she said EDG and that I would be sedated so I needed a driver. I scheduled the appointment...Wednesday morning. And then I began my research.

The last script I had for blood testing was for celiac. Thanks to Google, I found EDG or Esophagogastroduodenoscopy. The short, they were going to shove a tube down my throat. Take some pictures and sample tissue. Being deathly afraid of throwing up and gagging on even the tongue depressor, I called back in a panic to see if I would be knocked out. She just kept saying, "IV sedation." I didn't want to know how or what, just to what extent. I wanted all to be OUT...completely. They couldn't give me the answer I was looking for.

So, Wednesday it was. We arrived an hour early and they started prepping me. I had a pretty little gown and cozy little bed and blanket. Luckily, I've gotten used to needles, so the pricking and saline IV wasn't a big problem. Surprisingly, I was able to relax. THANKS to all of your prayers! Right on time, they wheeled me in to the other room. I had two shots of something and then they had me turn over. That seemed like and easy task, until I sat up. DIZZINESS! She said that was normal. I made it over and couldn't open my eyes any more. She put something in my mouth...hard plastic. It had an opening for the tube to fit in, but was a bit uncomfortable. It was difficult to swallow, and I tried to pull it out. She didn't really like my stubbornness, so I think she gave me another shot. That's all I remember.

Next thing I know, I hear Mike. He was holding my hand and said "You can't have oatmeal anymore." Somehow my eyes opened. The doctor and Mike were with me. The doctor apparently explaining what he had seen. Meanwhile, I drifted in and out of consciousness. Somewhere along the way, I had a nice wheelchair ride, car ride, stopped for a coke, and made it home to the couch. Some things started to surface, and I began to realize everything going on. Drugs...and the results. Celiac disease. Finally, an answer. I have pretty pictures, or maybe not so pretty, of my stomach and intestines. The villi, they're dead. The treatment: Gluten Free Diet, for life. Yes, nothing with wheat, rye, barley, oats, etc. Fruits, veggies, potatoes are ok. Nothing else is...or so it seems.

And Bob's your uncle! The good and the bad. I am sooooo thankful for all of your prayers and support throughout the past two years or so along this long battle! It seems as though we have an answer. The biopsies, due back in a week, will confirm the accusation. For now, we are both thankful and distressed. We are very grateful for answers, but for me, I am searching for the way to make this normal. There seem to be quite a few options now. I have yet to find them. We are hopeful, very hopeful. It is just another chapter and transition period. Please keep praying for me during this transition. It seems as Celiac Disease is probably the end, but there does seem to be tendency for thinks to worsen and even lead to cancer. Like I said, we are hopeful. But we are also prayerful. Thanks again for ALL of your prayers, support, and encouragement!

OK, so more good news...we celebrated my birthday and Christmas this week. A new camera (and other photo goodies.) I am soooooooooooo excited! It's amazing what a step (or two) up can do. Take a look for yourself. I'm really hoping to get this photography business up and running sometime soon too. It will be a great day when that is my primary source of income for the family.

off the grid

It happened...finally. We disappeared. Not for long, but for 36 hours, we were gone.

Some of our dearest family friends allowed us to venture out to the sticks, and I mean STICKS, to enjoy their house in northern NC, just south of the Virginia border. They warned us that there was very little to do so we brought some games along. We finally made it out the door close to 7 on Thursday night. After a quick detour to Chik-fil-A and some two lane roads that lasted for 1.5 hours, we made it to our first turn off. Shortly after, I killed my first possum. Well, after he caught glimpse of me going 70 mph, he continued to walk straight into my car. Luckily, I never heard the tires, duh-dum, but just some scraping underneath the car. There's a chance, very SMALL chance he was able to continue walking after that. As we gathered our bearings and continued through the village, we were just in time to see a little dog threesome on the side of the road. A great start to our journey.

After 2 hours, we made it. Stopped at the closest grocery store (about 10 miles away). A dirt road. Lake. Peace. Quiet. It was perfect. After enjoying CSI and some reading, we called it an early night. We slept in. Read. Made some lunch. Played lots of games. Read. And enjoyed satellite tv. Thank you Discovery Channel. Mike was also kind enough to let me watch the original Beverly Hills 90210 a few times. We didn't see a single person after our grocery store run. We didn't even hear any one once we made it to the house. When we packed up to leave, it took us about an hour to even find cell phone coverage.

It was perfect! It's amazing what 36 hours of peace and quiet can do. Disappearing off the grid was exactly what we needed. Now, it's on with the holidays. The next appointment going on my calendar, another trip to nowhere. And I can't wait.

transit

ok, so I need to start this conversation with a flashback. Then, I'll get on with the update of today.

A couple years back, Mike and I went to Chili's to eat. We were meeting several other people there, but we were the first to arrive. They were all on their way and should be arriving any minute. We put our name on the waiting list and before we knew it, our table was ready. We stepped up to the podium and gave our name. The hostess asked "Where's the rest of your party?" We knew that this could mean forfeiting our table, but also couldn't hide the fact that no one was behind us. Not to mention that we wanted to be honest. So, we said "They're coming. They should be right behind us." She said, "Where are they?" We responded with "They're in transit." She says, "TRANSIT?!" We say, "Yes, transit. They're right behind us." Again she says, "TRANSIT?!" And then turns around and asks the other hostess what TRANSIT MEANS! So, with that, we like to say "TRANSIT" whenever there is chaos, confusion, or plain dumb moments.

The last hour has been a little, no A LOT transit. We decided we should stop "borrowing" the neighbor's wi-fi and get our own. We found a great deal and made an appointment. Well, we received a phone call saying everything was hooked up, but our modem had not arrived. They said it would be a few days, and we knew that probably meant it would be after the weekend. Surprisingly, an hour or two later, it was on our doorstep. Well, Mike ripped open the box and seemed pretty intimidated by the amount of electronics and wires that came flying out. (It's not often you can scare Mike - especially with electronics.) We've put it off a few days, but tonight we decided would work. So, plugging things in. Finding a good spot to hide it. Making sure there was room for a modem and router, ETC. Well, after about 2 minutes, Mike gave up on the software (even after the kind computer voice guy walked him through it) and called the "magic" number in the directions. All he got was the annoying fax machine noise. He hung up, and found another number.

So, the first two minutes on the line were spent with Mike responding to the machine with, "Yes. No, Technical support. Operator. Help. No. Yes. etc" That in itself was entertaining, but then the real fun began.

Mike finally got ahold of a person. She tells him he should have called someone else. Mike says, "No." and continues to read, every last word, from the computer screen that prompted him to call her. She finally decided to accept the call. Meanwhile, Mike took this as an invitation for a laugh. I, just got to listen. Not only to Mike, but the lady on the other side was loud enough that I could hear her response. (I can see this is kind of long, so I won't give the entire conversation. I will give some of the beginning convo and then some highlights from the rest of it.)

Operator: "What's the problem?"

Mike: "It's not working."

O: "Well, what's wrong?"

M: "It's not working."

O: "Why isn't it working?"

M: "Because it's not hooked up to the internet."

O: "OK,well you probably don't have access to it."

M: "Yes. Our service started on Friday, November 14 at 4:40pm."

the operator continues to go through and verify our account information.

I'm losing it at this point. So, I'm going to let Mike finish telling this story....

I am not quite the storyteller that Sara is, but I will try to get a little recap of my 72:34 CSR call. Now, this gal from somewhere in Asia was really really patient. She was reading a lot of cues that I must admit were setup fairly well by the ISP. First, there were the ridiculous questions that they have to ask about your last 4 ssn, date of birth, address, mothers maiden name, first childhood crush.... etc.

Then we start to troubleshoot... There were all kinds of further silly questions asking if I had the power on the modem, if I had the telephone wire plugged into the wall, if I had the modem connected to my computer. This took about 20 minutes.

We spent the next 30 minutes following assanine prompts that all failed. We pretty much had to go into DOS and reset all internet settings then do a bunch of other stuff and then some more stuff. Then restart windows and stuff.

Finally after taking the computer to internet ground zero, things started clicking. I filled out ridiculous settings and stuff for email accounts I will never use. I cannot believe the lady had the patience to put up with a phone call this long. She was definitely Johnny on the spot! I asked her if my call was longer than average... she laughed and said yes.

Then comes all the ridiculous profit centers for ATT. Apparently they have some deal with Yahoo! where they try to wrestle your traditional internet habits away from you and keep you on Yahoo! webpages and install all these Yahoo! toolbars and stuff. Then they want all your contact information. She asked me what email address I wanted to send all their updates (spam) to... I gave them the address that I had just setup with them and told her that I was never going to check because I didn't want to give her my good one

Then comes all the obligatory end of the phone call things where she reads the whole, 'have I satisfactorily fulfilled all of your requests, have I been awesome, is ATT tech support the best ever?' In the process of all that she tells me she is going to send an email to evaluate her/ATT service. I asked her if I filled it out if it 'will that help you get a raise?' She wouldn't answer the question, but to me it was a very important question - because if it is just for ATT's tech reputation, then I could care less... but if it would reflect positively on this patient woman on the other side of the planet, then I would fill it out.

November?

Seriously...this time thing is really throwing me off.  I cannot believe it's already November!  

I do love the leaves changing.  It seems to last much longer than it did in Ohio.  And of course any leaves that are different from green and brown are better than the one you find in Florida.

I love the weather!  I've used my heated seats a few times already.  But by the time I leave work, I always wish I would have worn a t-shirt under my sweater.  It's probably 15 degrees warmer.

I love watching football when it feels like football weather.  I love that we can eat chili - HOT and it doesn't make us sweat because it's 80 degrees out.  I love making a fire because we need a fire.

I love that it takes 10 minutes to get anywhere in this city.  I love some classic places being around (Chik-fil-a and Moe's), but I also love the random family owned places here too.  

I love having a house to ourselves and multiple bathrooms.  We do love visitors and sometimes it feels lonely without others home when I come home.

I love Pullen Park.  A place of true diversity and almost as good as Disney Land, without making you go broke.  I love the sound of the trains and children playing outside.

Here's what I don't like: being sick!  Obviously, I think I have many more problems than I really have.  However, several can attest that I do have physical problems of some sort.  Although I am so thankful that I have a friend that has been through the health ringer this past year, I would not wish this on anyone.  I have been to the doctors, drugstore, etc. too many times to count.  For the most part, I still come up empty handed.  I may find some type of relief for the day, or maybe even week, but it doesn't seem to be too long before something else seeps in.  Seriously, what's the deal?!  It's very rare I have a fever, but today my temperature dropped to 95 degrees.  3 month ago I was having some severe constipation and this week I have spent to days sitting on the toilet.  How am I supposed to make sense of this?  Yes, stress and anxiety can cause major problems.  That doesn't seem to be the deal now.  Please pray for wisdom and direction as we continue to search for some answers.  Thank you!