A Frame A Day 2012

I almost can’t believe I did it! I decided last year about this time that I wanted to try taking one photo every day of the year. I already loved photography and knew this would be a perfect way to improve my amateur skills. To hold myself accountable, when I would nightly add the photos that Bryan and I had taken to our computer, I would also pick and post one as the frame of the day in the sidebar of this blog. (Bryan did take a few of these, because sometimes his photos are just downright better than mine. My brother also took the few family shots we have.)
After just a couple months in, I realized how this project was truly documenting our life and each and every photo brings back a memory. There were nights when I would just go back and look at what happened over the course of the year. You can see how the boys have grown, the changes we’ve made especially with food, the learning that took place in our home, and so much more. I think my photography did actually improve, too. Of course, there were some days when I would just snap a picture, but most days I would really try to take a photo that captured something from that day. I was the crazy person that carried the camera everywhere this year. There were days when I would forget to grab the camera as we were heading out the door and I would have to go back and get it. There were other days when I would intentionally leave the camera at home because it was big and bulky and at the end of the day I would wish that I had brought it. I could have never imagined how precious this project would end up being and how much I have enjoyed it. Now as we enter another year, I’m confident that the photos won’t stop. If I put the camera down now I know I will regret it, because this was one new year’s resolution that turned out to be just priceless.
Here’s a look at our year in a frame-a-day...

Statuses Never Posted

• We’re dehydrating apples and the house smells heavenly.
• Kale, swiss chard, and apples are really tasty as a juice.
• So stinkin’ excited to finally find the songs I want to use for our frame-a-day project!
• A few months ago I dreaded leaving the house with a three year old. Today we went to the grocery store and I don’t think I could have imagined a better experience. So thankful for this new stage and the difference a few months can make.
• Just tried carrots, oranges, and ginger in the new juicer. I loved it!
• I never want to forget how Seth says “hooray” for every fun and exciting thing.
• Just found out that Mariah’s now has a gluten-free menu. Praise the Lord!
• The tingling is almost gone. (Thank you, to all of you, for all the prayers!)

Christmas 2012

Here are a few small glimpses of our Christmas. 

 

 

(If you would like specific details about how we do our Happy Birthday, Jesus party, 

check out this post from last year.)

 

(Yes, the candles were melting into the extra warm, straight out-of-the-oven Paleo birthday brownie.)

 

Merry Christmas to all and Happy Birthday, Jesus!

First Day of Winter 2012

Winter. The season of quiet, rest, and reflection. The season of hats, mittens, and scarves. The season of warm blankets and hot tea. The season we welcomed today complete with our own indoor snow! Hopefully very soon we can play in some real snow. Until then, we'll enjoy this new season for all that it has to offer.

 

Statuses Never Posted

• You just never know where you might find baby Jesus these days.
• Lesson learned: Do not get to the Farmers’ Market late!
• So thankful for a husband who goes and gets me Home Cafe’s beef stew for lunch.
• There's been one egg in the nest box every single day!!!
• We need more restaurants with gluten free options in Bowling Green.
• So thankful for the warmer days lately. The time spent outside has been refreshing.
• 2 EGGS TODAY! This is so exciting!
• You know it’s a good book when you’ve read it twice and you still don’t want it to end.

Story Time at the Smiths Grove Library

This morning we went to Smiths Grove for a play date with friends and story time at the library. The Smiths Grove Branch of the library is just wonderful. If we lived just a little bit closer we would go there every single week. But going there every so often makes it even more special when we do get to go.

 Every library should have a tree house. 

The Smiths Grove Library does and the kids love it!

We listened to Peas on Earth...

 and then a pretend diner was set up for all the kids to enjoy. 

Never have I seen such creativity and thoughtfulness at a library and

 this happens all the time at the Smiths Grove branch.

All of the kids got hats and aprons.

 They had little notepads and pencils to take orders. 

There were menus...

  and pretend food/cookware. 

The kids got to take all of the parents' orders then pretend to 

cook and serve it up. It was the most precious thing!

 

 

 

 

 Silas even joined in on the pretend playing by sipping some pretend tea. 

 

No detail about the diner experience was overlooked. 

 The parents even got to pay the kids for our meals.

 

 After the kids played until their hearts were content,

 we headed to a local park for a picnic.

 It was simply a splendid morning!

Local Bounty: Broccoli Sprouts

I am constantly amazed at what new things show up at the Farmers' Market. The foods are inspiring and often challenge me to cook and think about food in new ways. When I saw sprouts at the Festina Lente booth, I wasn't sure how I was going to use them, but I knew I wanted some. So far the only way I have eaten them is on salads, but after I make some more "bread" this week I might put some on a sandwich. I think they could also be yummy inside a "wrap." Who knows, I might even try my hand at growing sprouts.

In the Kitchen Lately...

I spend A LOT of time in the kitchen. So at the end of the day when I settle in to review and edit pictures for my frame a day project, often several food photos appear. Here's a glimpse at what's been going on in the kitchen lately...

We are in love with pomegranates.

 Getting the arils out takes a bit of work (it's easier in a bowl full of water), 

but we munch on them all day long.

 I made our first loaf of Paleo "bread." 

It's made with cashew butter and it was absolutely amazing!

 I'm planning on making two loaves this week.

 

So far, one egg has been in the coop each day since our first. 

My new favorite way to eat eggs is poached in homemade Marinara sauce.

  

I made sauerkraut.

 I've spent lots of time cleaning kale, Swiss chard, and broccoli from the garden.

 I made these hot fudge brownie bites. 

They are Paleo and are super easy and yummy.

Our First Egg!!!

Look what showed up in the nest box today...

our first egg!!! 

Coping

It would be so easy to only share the good in life. But life is filled with challenges and trials and we have lots to learn from them.  So I think it’s important to be real and honest during the good times and bad.
I’m a week and a half into an MS flare-up. This is the second flare-up that I’ve had since my diagnosis and losing the sight in my right eye. Last October I had tingling in my feet. It died down after a while, and after changing my diet the tingling went away completely. This time around the tingling is more intense (way more intense) and is in my feet and lower legs again, my hands, my mouth, and nose. I also have what seems to feel like a headache behind my good eye. That made me very nervous. For an entire day I was having a pity party about being blind for the rest of my life. Thankfully, I have been to see my eye doctor from Vanderbilt twice and there is no sign of swollen nerves or Optic Neuritis. Because my symptoms are more aggravating and not debilitating, high dose intravenous steroids are not a good option. The steroids only make whatever healing is going to happen, happen faster. So it’s a waiting game again.
Having this flare-up has made me question and learn several things.

• Is this diet even worth it? I truly think so, but eating Paleo is especially hard when you feel kind of crummy. The thought has crossed my mind several times to screw it all and eat a bag of Oreos or a box of macaroni and cheese. But, I have resisted because I think it’s worth it. Maybe my flare-ups would be a lot worse if I wasn’t eating this way.
• I’ve gone back and forth about taking treatment. I keep asking myself, would this happen if I was taking medication? I just don’t know the answer. I have to look at it this way though. I know that if I had 10 flare-ups without the medicine, I would still have about 7 of them on the medication according to the latest statistics.
• When I go in for an MS check-up, the nurses always ask if I am in any pain. I never understood that question until now. Being tingly and on the verge of numb is kind of painful.
• Some days are better than others. Some days I want to go on and act like nothing is wrong and that I can still do everything that I want to. Other days I just want to stay in bed and wish it all away. When I am asked by the MS nurses if the flare-up hurts my ability to take care of my family, where do I draw the line? Is it really hurting my ability to take care of my family if I don’t want to go anywhere or do anything? I’ve realized though that the more positive the outlook the better day I tend to have.
• Stress seems to be a trigger for my flare-ups. The tingling feet started right before Seth’s dental surgery (a very stressful time for me). This time around I got too worked up about a paper for grad school. It was all I thought about and dwelled upon for several days. I’ve got to keep those stressors as far away from me as possible. (That is going to be something I need to work on.) I need to learn to care less about school, even though caring less might cause me more stress. Thankfully, I only have one semester left for a degree I’m required to have by the state to keep my teaching certificate.  
• On the bright side, these flair-ups aren't happening just all the time. It was over a year since my last one and for that I'm thankful!

I’m sure the questions and lessons will keep on pouring in, but for now I’m coping and just praying that one day soon I will feel normal again.

Half of a Pig

We've got beef. We've got venison. Let's add pork to the mix! We bought half of a pig from Crooked Creek Farms today. We have loved buying pork from Crooked Creek Farms for several months now, and we loved visiting their farm. So when we found out they were taking some hogs in for slaughter we jumped at the chance to purchase more meat in bulk.
Here's what we added to our freezer:

• 4 ham roasts
• 16 two-pack packages of pork chops
• 1 tenderloin
• 4 packages of liver
• 1 heart
• 1 whole rack of ribs
• 34 one-pound packages of ground meat
  (We opted out of sausage/bacon this time around because of the curing methods used.)

I'm not sure how long it's going to take before the novelty wears off when buying meat in bulk, but it sure feels exciting right now!

Backyard Bounty: Kale

Our kale is plentiful right now. We are harvesting it by the basket full. We planted two varieties this fall: the blue curled scotch dwarf and lacinato. Both are extremely tasty. We consider kale a superfood around here and like it sauteed with a little bit of salt, pepper, and olive oil, or in smoothies, soups, and salads. We love kale so much, we might even need a bumper sticker or t-shirt  to show our love for this cruciferous vegetable.

Advent 2012

Advent...a time of longing and a time of sweet anticipation. It started today in our home. We decorated our Nativity Tree, pulled out our felt Advent calendar, and settled into this special time when we can anticipate our Savior's birthday.

(We're going to be doing a lot of the same activities as last year and also adding in a few new things. We'll share those as we do them throughout the month.)

The Nativity Tree

With all of my struggles with decorating for Christmas, we decided to trade in our traditional Christmas tree for a Nativity Tree this year.

 

We took a few branches, a vase, and an inexpensive Nativity set and created a simple reminder of what the Christmas season is all about. It may seem extreme for some, but it feels just right for us. We absolutely love it!