navy blog background

Friday, September 21, 2012

A Very Productive Day!

   So we had a very fun day full of learning and fellowship. We started off with a trip to our favorite dairy  Lucky Layla Farms Plano location and because of the chaos of the annual balloon festival we got our milk for just over half price hurrah! We started out by getting the yogurt started in the crock pot and then turned our attention to baking bread which was lovely with the fresh butter we picked up. Then we got our mozzarella cheese going. We got a little worried because we could not find rennet anywhere in Dallas and thankfully one Kroger had a type that was for custards and puddings and we figured we would give it a try. it did not look like the pictures on all the pinned blogs but we figured we would at least finish the batch and see what it tasted like. In the end it turned out better by NOT MICROWAVING it but putting it into the 200 degree whey which we were heating up anyway to make ricotta! It turned out delish and I can't wait to eat some on the fresh bread! The ricotta looks good but I did not get as much as I thought i would so I have to alter my plans for dinner tomorrow  (no lasagna for me :(  ). The yogurt looks just like store bought and I can't wait till breakfast to try it, the question is what to flavor it with? there are sooo many options to choose from. After our long, productive day we took the kids to the splash park to run off energy and then home to make ice cream. Soooo yummy and yes there were left overs! I will add pictures soon pinky promise.

Saturday, August 18, 2012

August Rush

 Ok so I got the itch for a place of our own after helping several people look for property and places to rent, and well I looked around and just never could find anything that would make me completely happy let alone that would fit in our budget. After praying and just being patient I heard a wonderful sermon and then some advise given to someone in a similar situation on the radio. We have made up our hearts and minds to put our money into repairing the house we are renting form the in-laws and just stay put since we will eventually inherit this property it doesn't make sense to move somewhere else since we are needed here. It may not be perfect but it is a place to live that we can be happy in. So all that led to the kitchen makeover that I will be posting a bit later when I have finished up a few little things.

School has started back and we have a whole new list of Dr appointments to make it through and Nutcracker casting has started. I am teaching piano and have 3 custom sewing projects in the works.

Isaac and the Neurologist

  Tuesday we went to the neurologist that was scheduled back in June and well now I totally understand why it took so long. God was working in the background as we have all prayed to match us up with just the right doctors. This guy is a great match for us since all he does is treat seizures (big fat period here).
So after looking over Isaac's extensive file he asked a few questions having me describe the seizures and explain to me why certain ones had been labeled febrile and then told me that Isaac fits in the definition of epileptic. Why you ask? well there were several seizures that did not have a fever before or after them and well were just "normal seizures". and having two or more of these "normal seizures" classifies a person as epileptic. So Isaac now has a Valium for emergencies if a seizure lasts more than 5 min and it will calm him till we can get him to a hospital. He will also be on Keppra again along with a B6 to counteract the aggressive behavior that is a side effect of the Keppra. If after 3 weeks the aggression is too much that we cannot safely leave him unattended( Not hurting someone or himself) then we will try something else. If two years go by with no seizures they will take him off all medication and just call it childhood epilepsy if they continue we will have to rethink everything. I will continue the chiropractic care and be ordering an anti-spasmodic herbal tincture to be giving him as well as a tincture for nerve damage and repair that might help a well. For now this is the new norm and we would appreciate all your prayers.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Endocrinologist for Isaac

So today we woke up with the sun and drove in rush hour traffic to get downtown Dallas, But it was SOOOO worth it we love Dr Sumpter. She explained to me that she is conservative in her practice and believes that ALL medications have side effects and that she didn't want to prescribe or treat someone without proof that they truly needed it. So she agreed with me that we needed to test for celiac disease because it does cause the majority of the symptoms Isaac is showing. She is also testing his kidneys and Liver to make sure they are functioning properly. 20 min later down in the lab the blood was drawn and we were off to lunch after stopping in and talking to the Ped about the dairy allergy testing which will be done on Monday. While on our way to the Ped we got a phone call saying something went wrong with the blood sample and they needed to draw more so we grabbed lunch and back to Dallas we went. Isaac wasn't too happy but tolerated it all with the promise of picking something out of the gift shop, which he chose a baseball.

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Isaac update

Ok since February Isaac has been having regular seizures (6 to date) and the last one which we did not witness but saw the signs that he had had one after finding him covered in blood and "asleep" in his bed.
We have been on the war path with 3 Dr.s in tow to figure out what could cause these. So far we have had an EEG, EKG, Sonogram of his heart, and a 24 hour heart monitor, Tested his blood and thyroid lvls, as well as an MRI all of which have not really given us any answers. We praise YHVH that Isaac's heart is perfect there are no palpitations, arrhythmia or murmurs.  His Thyroid looks good and although he was on the verge of being anemic we have that under control. The MRI only showed that his cerebellum is underdeveloped and they have told me that that is not the cause of the seizures. A dear friend has done research for me into the medications Isaac was given in the NICU  and several of them have the side effect of causing seizures, blindness, hearing loss and several other major health concerns. I was only warned about the hearing loss and we have an amazing ENT that has been down this road with her own son and has a special spot in her heart for our Isaac. We will be seeing the Endocrinologist in July and the Neurologist in August. We appreciate all the prayers and help our friends have sent our way please continue as we cannot do this without the support of our friends and family.

Mothers Day for my MIL

TOTAL BATHROOM REDO!












 We still need to frame the mirrors and find flooring but she LOVED it!



Izzy's "Its sooo fluffy"

Long story short Izzy and I were in a friends wedding back in February and the bride and I could not possibly seee spending $150 on a dress Izzy might be able to wear 6 months from now. So we plotted and $60 in fabric later and too many hours of sewing to count here is the picture story of what we ended up with.

This is the $150 version at Davids bridal

and a bodice I thought was prettier than the original.

My first attempt at the bodice

bodice all sewn

finished dress minus the embroidered  ribbon belt

embroidered ribbon belt closeup


fun after the wedding

getting ready at the Bride's parents house.

Izzy with the GORGEOUS BRIDE!

Izzy walking down the isle.

Updating furniture

 So I have been helping a friend pack and plan their next move as they travel with her husbands job and the more we thought about it the more we dreaded that trip to find furniture for taking with them. Then is dawned on is the only reason she didn't like the furniture sitting in her garage that was planned for craigslist was the unstained wood look she wanted something finished that she could wipe off her kids messes and go on with life. Sooo a trip to Lowes and 24 hours later we were in her garage while the kids rode bikes staining away with neighbors coming over asking what we were up to and telling us we were crazy. On we went a dining room set and an entertainment center later we are in love with what we accomplished and the results, AND WE SAVED A TON OF MONEY! We even got adventurous and recovered the seats to her kitchen table in less than 3 hours. 

So this is what her garage looked like for 3 days while we worked on it all between Dr apts and running errands and trying to get our phones fixed with 6 kids in tow under the age of 8.

And here are some before and afters




And I will add pictures of the entertainment center and reupholstered chairs later when I remember to snag a shot.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Obsessed with corral!

Well at least the color. Over the past week my grandparents and several aunts were in town visiting and well its inevitable we hit an estate sale. I scored an adoreable pair of earrings and a turquoise and silver necklace for five dollars. I also got several antiqueish books and a beautiful piece of fabric. The fabric was only fitty cents and it has totally inspired me to finish my bedroom. It already has the brown from my velvet curtains i got on freecycle, as well as the sage green that my walls are painted. It has yellow and corral which i will be slowly adding to the room as i give some of my furniture a facelift with paint and stain. Pictures will come as i finish projects and i will have a reveal at the end.

Update! here are some sneak peek picks



Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Freedom Acres Farm: Hebrew Roots in a Nutshell

Sorry this one is a good post as well enjoy!

Freedom Acres Farm: Hebrew Roots in a Nutshell: Recently a blogger I follow posted on her new found excitement of celebrating the Lord's Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). I commented that i...

Freedom Acres Farm: Living for a Blessing!

I ran across this wonderful blog the other day thanks to pinterest! they have a cream cheese recipe that totally made my day. I got curious and started looking at the rest of their blog and to my surprise they are on the same journey as we are! Back to our Hebrew roots and closer to our creator without all the traditions that man has created to distract us from the true meaning of being a follower of YHWY. I hope that anyone interested will read this blog post and follow the inks at the end to find out more about our journey. I do not claim to know the answers to life but since Nate and i started studying more and more into Leviticus and feeling like we were missing something in our walk I have felt more confident in my salvation and I feel  "free"  I can not explain it I just don't worry about things or what people think I am just me doing what I can to serve my Lord. 

Freedom Acres Farm: Living for a Blessing!: Our home made improvised Hannaukia I've heard tell that some are concerned for us as we search out and learn about our Hebrew roots. W...

Friday, May 11, 2012

dreams come true!

Ok sorry for the delay here is the recipe I promised for the  Orange Cranberry cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.

Orange Cranberry Cupcakes
3/4c butter softened
3 eggs
2 1/2c flour
2 1/2tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4c sugar
1 1/3 tsp vanilla
1 1/4c milk (goats milk)
juice from 3 large oranges
2 TBSP orange zest
2 hand fulls dried cranberries
mix all together and set aside

2 boxes of brownie mix mixed up as directed on box (used coconut oil)
and fill cupcake liners 1/3 full.
fill remainder with cake mix. and bake @ 325 for apx 20 min.

Cream Cheese frosting

1c butter softened
1c cream cheese softened
mix together till fluffy then add extracts
1tsp vanilla
1tsp coconut
1tsp almond
8 TBSP whipping cream
mix together then slowly add in 2lbs powdered sugar one cup at at time.
if too thick add in a little more whipping cream.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Ok wow sorry bout that I took a leave of absence and forgot to tell you all.

Well it wasn't a fun absence but a medical one as my sweet Isaac was having seizures on top of the RSV and pneumonia he got in February and it took all my strength and consciousness to stay on top of Dr visits and schooling the other children. We have seen many Dr.s mostly for checkups since Isaac will be 3 this Saturday (can you believe it?) Yes my baby that they told me would never survive birth will be 3 in just a few days. The EEG showed everything was normal and they want to schedule an MRI this test will tell us where to go from here. We will be checking his thyroid and doing regular chiropractic adjustments to make sure there is nothing pinched in his neck.
 

 Over the last week I was keeping myself distracted with a baby shower gift which turned out gorgeous. I am personally jealous since I had originally intended to use the fabric for my daughter but she didn't particularly like it. I will be making matching burp clothes and adding a pooh bear in a field of yo-yo flowers on the back of the quilt.


We are also getting ready for the kids ballet recital on may 20th they will be performing Copellia at the Allen Performing Arts Center. Everyone is welcome to attend it is free. Izzy requests flowers and Jacob adores  chocolate ;) but you didn't hear that from me!

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Spider bite.

ok so I know m many of you have been wondering if I have died or anything from refusing to go to the ER after being bitten, by what we could only come to the conclusion of being a black widow. It was a crazy day in mid July, and My husband and I had 3 extra kids on top of our 4 for the weekend with some family and another friend over. We were rockin' and rolin' making some stepping stones for the ever muddy spots in the garden letting the kids design and decorate as they wanted. well after filling all the forms with decorations it was time for concrete so all the kids went in with Grammie to watch a movie and be out of the over 100 degree weather. My husband and I went to get a couple bags of concrete off the pallet we have out back and I kept itching after wheeling it back to the house I went on with our project figuring it was just chiggers (they really like me). Well after dinner showering 7 children and getting them in bed I get a shower and am going to bed  (11:30) and I am getting pretty dizzy through all that still thinking I am just dehydrated so I drink a couple glasses of water and take some some bioplasma to help with that and try to sleep. I cannot go to sleep my chest feels like it is about to explode my heart is racing and I am all of a sudden in a 60 degree room dripping sweat. I am thinking ok what is wrong with me seriously? I voice it to Nate and tell him my chigger bites are really itching and swelling this is different can you look at them (behind my knee).
He looks at them and says "it looks gross and tells me to put some calamine lotion on it." after all that still trying to get some sleep I am talking it out with him that "I wasn't really in tall grass or in areas where he chiggers normally are."
He asks " when did it start bothering you"
and I was all "well when I dropped the bag of concrete on my foot I felt a stinging pain do you think it could have been a bee or a oh NO there were some spider webs on the pallet do you think it could be a spider?"
He says " it was probably a brown recluse" (rolls over and falls asleep)
My mind is racing spider bite hmm what are the symptoms...? What kind of spider?... Hmmm can't sleep chest hurting too bad. I get out of bed and go take a shot of cayenne (it will stop a heart attack and restart a stopped heart). too curious now and I am out of bed I start googling only to find out that my symptoms do not match up to a brown recluse. Totally puzzled now I start looking at images and going to web md to do the symptom checker still feeling like my chest is going to explode dripping sweat and oh year gasping for breath like and asthma attack! it came back black widow! I am freaking out now, comparing the two spider bites the outcomes,  and survival rates all while everyone sleeps. So I take all the herbs I have on hand that deals with cleansing the blood and for my asthma and for bites and went to bed praying I woke up the next morning. I knew my M-I-L had some anti venom for snakes and spiders she had been paranoid about that since we started cleaning up the property and the drought had driving more things toward civilization. I figured I would get that from her and we would be ok since we had a baby shower the next day and had to take all the extra children home I just needed to get a good nights sleep. well after breakfast I call my M-I-L and tell her what Nate and I had come to the conclusion of and ...SHE TOTALLY FREAKS OUT... "WHY DIDN'T YOU WAKE ME UP", "THAT IS AN EMERGENCY" lol I am still having chest pains and very dizzy and I just want something to help with the pain  because I was convinced that an ER would not help me since I was not sure what had bitten me. Well Nate looked at the area again and was like WOW I am starting to worry at that but I can't see a thing so I came up with the idea that he needed to take a picture of it so I could see what was going on. and well this is what followed. 


the morning after
swelling and "angry" veins

4 days after
bruising starting


5 days after
so swollen I can't bend my leg without pain


7 days later it is spreading and the flesh is "melting" away with oozing


day 8 the skin starts drying out and sore gets smaller


11 days later swelling is going down


13 days after

So 6 months later I now have my full energy back and the majority of the symptoms have subsided with the exception of the chest pains I still get them every now and then but I did not take the medications religiously I AM a mom of 4 kids that is taking classes and home schooling my children on top of well LIFE! I am doing a cleanse and getting back to cleaning the toxins out of my system and feel amazing for everything I have been through, and PRAISE YHWY I AM STILL ALIVE!

Entryway makeover

ok so you all have seen my checklist and I have been making progress but I have not finished everything completely so I have not posted about any of it yet. Ugg well I finally found some white paint that was close enough to what I already had in the entryway and office/school room area and I had a couple rainy days that were too yucky to do anything else. So I decided to paint and boy was my husband surprised when he got home. here is the reveal and a few along the way as the project progressed over the summer.
after adding the black shelf that I painted and distressed
and adding the board and batten.

after painting lower half white.

looking in from the front door.

picture post Hanukkah edition.