Through Sickness...

We took Mady to a nutrtrionist yesterday for her kidney reflux issue. It was hard listening to them tell me all the things that are wrong with her body. She has been on antibotics, perscibed by her MD, for over a year. These antibotics have basically stripped her body of everything, every area they tested was damaged. Her kidney's, her bladder, her intestines, her lymph system, as well as her growth has been stunted. PLEASE DO NOT GIVE ANTIBOTICS TO YOUR CHILDREN FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD! Thankfully by God's amazing grace it looks like because she is so young she will recover after a heavy dose of supplements. These supplements were not cheap, so we are in prayer that God will meet this need as he has in our past. I guess I am just frustrated at how doctors( MD's ) just give you antibotics without trying to actually cure what is going on in the body. The nutrutionist said that giving antibotics for this was was like taking a sledgehammer to a nail. I am posting this so all who read this blog will understand the seriousness of giving your children drugs to cure illnesses. Most things can be cured with proper nutrition and supplements. I have turned a dear ear to this in the past. It's too hard, it's too expensive, mainly my unwillingness to educate myself has resulted in this circumstance. Please do not misunderstand me I am not anti- western medicine, I just feel that it is incomplete. God designed our bodies and he knows Madeline's frame every square inch of her, we ultimatley are looking to Him to heal her. We all have to take paths in life that lead us closer to knowing the one who made us. This path has only taken us closer to our Lord and brought us more faith in Him and his power to heal through whatever means necessary. We are grateful to Him and are looking to him for continued wisdom through the process.

Ressurection Day

I came that they might have life and have it more abundantly

Jn 10:10

If I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will take you to myself

Jn 14:3

My Daily Life- Trader Joe's

Part of the fun of our week is our weekly trip to Trader Joe's. Why is it fun? I know the weekly grocery shopping experience with two small children doesn't seem all that fun. However, we have come to experience the complete opposite. Trader Joe's is a unique blend of my hippie roots and my more refined adult life. Maybe refined isn't the right word but how do you say I like to drink red wine and eat exotic cheeses. They have good red wines for $5.00 and under. They have a lot of organic items like fruits and veggies as well as lots of organic grocery items, and a huge salad section. I love that they have such healthy snacks for the kids, we love Pirate Booty, and Veggie Chips, as well as hummus and carrots sticks. They really make feeding my kids nutritious food very easy. So back to the fun part, they have this game in the store called "Find the Monkey" They hid this stuffed monkey in obscure places in the store somewhere and the kiddos get to find him and get a prize. Mady thinks it's fun to try and look for the monkey while I am shopping and she is completely preoccupied with finding the monkey. Well not completely preoccupied, she is also trying to get me to buy this and that, and really likes to help mommy put things into the cart. But the monkey is a clever way I can divert her attention long enough to get past the cookies. And as for Aslan, he is perfectly happy to eat pirate booty and drink water the whole time. And of course smile and all the ladies that coo at him in the store, he always seems to get a lot of attention. And if she doesn't find the monkey she still gets a bunch a stickers or perhaps a balloon when we check out. Which leads me to the people who work at Trader Joe's, I think they must recruit them directly off of RatDog's latest tour run. These people are a eclectic bunch. I think it's a requirement to have some type of piercing, and a plus on their application if they have a tattoo of two. No, not everyone who works there fits this description, but i like to always get in their line when we leave and ask them questions about their life. And they always ask me questions about mine, like, what are you doing this weekend? Or anything exciting happening with you? It's never a smile and a nod and then silence as they bag your groceries. They also usually make comments about the things that they find in your grocery carts, like oh this is great, have you tried it yet? Or have you tried this? They want to know how I prepare things to eat using their stuff? Always an exchange of humanism. I leave happy with a belly full of snacks and children who are not whinny. This is way we love shopping at Trader Joe's. Here are a couple of photo's... all in an effort to give you a glimpse of my daily life.

Friends for Life

Kindred Spirits from the moment they met

Mady and Lauren

My Home

The Front Walkway

Backyard Built for Sipping Tea

Thought it would be nice to show what my house looks like. The grass is getting greener every day, I guess that's what happens when you water it:) I didn't show my roses, they are just beginning to bloom. Jim and I sit out here in the mornings and have our coffee together and talk. Yes those are lights hanging up, we have dinner out here most every night in the summer time under the twinkle lights as mady calls them. It makes life more romantic.