Good Friday and Easter Sunday are perhaps the most significant days of the church calendar, and yet, in a real sense, we live our lives on Saturday, the day in between. Philip Yancey

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Resurrecting the Blog with Easter Pics

I can't begin to fill in all the blanks from the quiet months. They included challenges that weren't appropriate for public sharing and then personal awkwardness on how to bridge. Once I was emotionally ready to talk about other things, life was far more engaging than the computer screen. It's no longer the much needed outlet of times past. That's not all bad!

The short of it is, life is returning to our version of normal in ways we haven't experienced in a long time. It was March 2010 when Lydia's earthly body started the first battle of her final war. Jason was taking my place at the local food co-op submitting my order while I was at hospital admissions. The bowel obstruction was only expected to be a blip on our radar. As we know it wasn't. Most of those bulk purchases then sat and sat. Good thing they were the type things that keep for years! I am proud to say I have a lot of newly empty buckets kicking around my laundry room today. This means our habits of our preferred ways of eating have re-rooted.

The undeniable confirmation came during a very sticky cleanup this weekend. The home brewed water kefir, on it's second ferment, exploded because the jar it was in was weakened from the cold/heat process of making yogurt. The probiotic-rich liquid ran down from the top of the pantry onto every shelf and the floor below BUT very little was lost because it was all in jars and a few cans. The only cardboard was compromise foods (not even bought by me). The chia seeds, coconut sugar, cod liver oil, homemade spice blends, pink Himalayan salt, balsamic vinegar, bucket of wheat berries, bags of dried beans even...all fine. Yep, we are comfortably weird again.

Other aspects of life the last few months? I'll hit a few and sprinkle in pics of Esther Bunny's first Easter too.




  • I didn't manage to get dressed up shots of the big girls but here are the bottom three looking mighty fine.


  • Amelia's urology study back in December was normal.
  • And she got a haircut.


  • Problems were worsening though.


  • GI scratched his head and scheduled Rectal Botox. Yep you read that right. It was the last mainstream option short of removing part of her colon, a la Lydia this time 3yrs ago.
  • Botox didn't help.
  • Alternative health care, here we come.
  • Jason built one of these to go along with the drops, herbs and oils prescribed by the naturopathic doctor.
  • 2 months in and the first ever decrease in laxatives for one of our b6 girls was needed. It's working!


  • Jason is back at public school, getting his Stand and Deliver reenactment on.
  • A friend graciously pointed out that I am "gifted" at research. It's taken some grumbling and pondering to admit it but I suppose I do really enjoy learning when there are immediate life applications.
  • Sophie's haircare used to be an area of study, before I mastered it to my satisfaction...then was introduced to a reasonably priced sweetheart that will come to our house and tame the mane.


  • This is before (above) and after (below), getting ready for Easter. We love you KiKi!


  • The pregnancy and newborn Esther research topic has been satisfied now too. (Well, I did just stumble upon this great video which has since helped me keep my rings higher.) Ring sling is my go to babywearing choice for this age though. Esther and I are both happy with it and rocking along.





  • I passed on any Christmas presents from Jason this year due to circumstances. January proved a good time to request what had been hanging out at the top on my wish list. We hit that medical wall with Amelia and Jason's headaches returned...thus my latest research topic was/is therapeutic uses of essential oils.



  • Amelia is on the Digestion blend as part of her regime and we've successfully supported body systems to function properly in little and big ways with these plan extracs. Fun stuff!

  • Esther got her first tooth at 4mo. #4 is now through at 7mo (not long after this pic).


  • She's ceased with 95% of her spitting, ahh. As Jason put it, her water no longer breaks every time she burps.
  • Josiah's favorite 4 yr old phrase: "which is". The boy crafts his extensive vocabulary into compound sentences, including definitions, all.day.long.
  • He's keen on context clues too. Jason: "If you are diligent, you can have dessert. Do you know what diligent means?" Josiah: "Yeah, eat."


  • Caleb cried last week because he "really wanted a cupcake without food coloring in the icing".
  • Jason still calls him Woolite. Fierce at karate but still our most delicate child. 


  • Esther's fabulous dress in these pics was one of many Matilda Jane treasures gifted to me as a prize for a Mother's Day contest last year, to which friend submitted my mothering story.
  • That was one fun surprise package! 
  • Beautiful isn't it? The hodge podge of fabrics and trims that come together to make a little masterpiece. 


  • There should be a profound life analogy following that. Instead I'll give you a cute pic of baby toes. Don't you just want to nibble on them?


  • I'm actually eager for summer break this year (even though we'll still do some schooling). I like my kids again (!!!) and look forward to hanging out with them.
  • They are all pretty cool, especially when getting their deep thinking on. They do that more me these days.
Psalms 147:3
He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.

  • Amelia is reading about the Nazis. As we finished the last chapter, she was asked which people the verse above applies to. Amelia's quick response was not the Jews but "The soldiers! Their hearts need healing." She immediately went to sin as the bigger heart issue than the temporal pain. Amen sister!
  • I did load a few pics to fb albums since my last post. Here's the link to fall/winter and the link to Esther's 2 month photo shoot.




  • Um yeah, she'll be 8 months old next week. But I had to put at least one of these beautiful pics on here!


4 comments:

  1. Um, do you have an essential oil recommendation for migraines? They've been a gift of menopause and because of a medical situation I cannot take traditional meds. I hadn't thought of this approach and am very interested.

    A reader since Lydia was about 4,
    Jen

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Jen, I'm honored you have followed the blogs for so long. Thank you!

      Yes, it may take a little trial and error but migraines have absolutely been successfully treated with essential oils. The most basic place to start would be peppermint oil (could pair with lavender) on temples, forehead and back of neck. Here is one of my favorite references sites: http://www.everythingessential.me/HealthConcerns/Migraines.html#page=page-2
      They list single oils and some brand specific blends we've been using. Feel free to email me for more info (allisontripp23@gmail.com) or check out my oil links up under my profile.

      Delete
  2. i wondered why i got old posts!! i was so hoping it was something new! glad to hear from you. i enjoyed watching the squatty potty bit. very interesting. now i must know if you all use the potty that way!!! and i like that you say you enjoy your kids again. refreshing! and real!! i look forward to enjoying summer break one day....like after 2 kids are in school :)
    hugs from across the country!! heidi

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hugs back at you Heidi! The squatty potty makes so much sense to me. Why have I never heard the concept? We only have one currently but it stays in place in the main bathroom for communal use. Ha! Yep, parenting in general involves so much sacrifice, giving of yourself. Parenting through acute grief was miserable. When you are oh so empty for whatever reason, those little people that perpetually need from you are hard to feeeeel the right things towards. Oh our selfish hearts and humanness!

      Delete