An outfit post

                            Rebecca age 1                        Rachel age 1                           Olivia age 1

Same pants, same sweater...Makes me happy to see these clothes worn by all three girls, lets me know they are getting a lot of mileage.

A lot on my mind....

So a little over a year ago I decided to try eating gluten free, to avoid white sugar and most dairy products. People kept asking me why? I didn't have a great answer I just wanted to try it out, see If I noticed a difference in how I felt. I have not always been perfect at it, in some cases it was too hard to avoid all together, or I just simply didn't want to avoid it. At times I would ask myself the question why? I decided at the beginning of this year that I wanted to permanently continue on with this diet.

The reason why came shortly after. I went into see a specialist doctor that my mom recommended. I never go the doctors, and I'm sure as long as Nathan and I have been married Nathan has never gone to one. However I felt like I should go and I did. I have been tired all my life, and I wanted to get to the root of the problem. The doctor took a lot of blood samples from me and had food allergy tests done. They found out  that I have a problem called Candida Yeast overgrowth. My case was off the charts severe. It's way to complex to try and explain in this blog post, you can always google it if your curious. It is something that is very tuff to really ever overcome or ever get rid of, the best thing I can do is to keep it at bay by starving that awful wicked yeast to it's near death. And that means for me a very strict diet! Ah Ha! Which I'll be honest when I'm told I have to follow something it makes it harder, much much harder. And the fact that this problem will never really go away makes it all the more discouraging to want to follow such a strict way of eating. Then more news came......

I decided I wanted Nathan and Rebecca to go see this guy. I have been worried that Becca might have the same condition due to her constant yeast infections, though I never had yeast infections. However Candida can be genetically handed down. I wanted to get Nathan in to be checked for overall health. Results came back yesterday and it turns out that both Nathan and Rebecca both have severe Gluten intolerance! Along with dairy for Becca, which she was happy about because she hates milk.

Last night I was pondering over the days events and it hit me. I knew that this whole gluten free, dairy free experiment of mine for the last year has really prepped me for this new lifestyle change that is no longer optional, but needed. Instead of feeling totally overwhelmed right now I feel like I know what I'm doing, and so thankful I don't have to start from scratch. And I know the inspiration came from my Heavenly Father, and what a good father he is. Food is a big part of my life, it makes me happy I love to enjoy it! And over the last year I have really learned the gluten free art form so that food can still be yummy and enjoyable to us YEA!!! I know this sounds really ridiculous but I promise you it's not! I have become the expert baker in all things gluten free, Nathan laughs at me when I think I am eating "healthier desserts" because sugar is sugar after all, but I still think their is some difference in the sugars I use along with other ingredients chosen so onward I go! 

I am thankful to our doctor, especially because he doesn't normally see patients Beccas age. She was super brave by the way when they had to take her blood! Did not make a peep! Though her eyes went as wide as they could in shock when they put the needle in her....poor thing! I think the culprit for this flood of gluten and allergy breakouts are due to GMO'S, but that's another blog post for another day.

"Marriage is what brings us together today"

Today Nathan and I celebrate 8 years of marriage! I personally am in total shock, but here we are regardless ;) I think of all the different paths we could have taken, and I'm so glad we chose this one I really am.

With each child born Nathans hair line recedes a little bit more. He claims that he lovingly donated his hair to our girls and I claim that I donated my eye sight and my body. With each daughter born Nathans heart has grown softer and sweeter. After our third daughter was born I gave myself the title known as the "Mother Preventor" I have also been known to use the words "Safety Nazi".  I love Nathans heart, and I love that he has donated his hair to our girls, makes him more of a man, a very sexy man!! Nathan thinks that my glasses make me look hot, and that my post baby body is beautiful and womanly. I apologize now to our children who will read this someday! But hey it's good to know that your mom and dad love each other right!? Every year of marriage we learn a little bit more about how little we really know (especially about raising girls :) But I honestly love that we are finding this out together, we make an awesome team! Go team N&L we rock!! We are 8 years older and eight years wiser today, and I am thankful for that. There is no one else I'd rather grow older and wiser with than Nathan.

Random pictures from the last month post

Happy 4th Birthday Ray Who!

I can't believe our little Rachel turned 4! Seriously? She has been talking about her birthday for the last 9 months at least :). She still loves so tease all of us, but especially her big sister. Becca asked her one day why it is she likes to tease so much and Ray responded with "Because dad likes to tease, and so do I" :) She loves just about anything in the dairy food group, she loves to be with her sisters, she loves to run errands with me, she loves anything involving sugar! This girl has a sweet tooth about as bad as mine. She loves to give kisses! Especially when I lay her down for naps or to bed at night, she wont go to sleep until she has given us kisses! She just loves life, and we LOVE her!!! Happy Birthday Ray who!!

 Love Mom