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

Behind....

I know I have not been great lately at blogging...I blame pinterest for this problem :) Seriously though when it's quiet time at our house I either take a nap along with the girls, or lately I log into pinterest and get nothing else done! Bah! Anyway these last few months have been good. We really have not been up to anything out of the ordinary. Becca has school, and dance. And if it weren't for those two things we pretty much would not ever leave the house! If I am feeling really adventurous we will go to Target or something :) I got the girls signed up for swim lessons FINALLY! I am a bad mom, and so behind with these kinda things. But they are thrilled and just excited to finally learn so oh well :) Rachel and I both had a birthday (I will do a separate post on that). Livy is almost walking......I know 15 months is slow, but that's how long it took for all my girls. Becca is reading way beyond her kindergarten level...It's amazing, she can read anything and everything! And has been for a while now. Nathan is a busy busy man. I am a single mom most of the week, but that's ok, we have a job and are thrilled when we do get to be with him! Life is good overall, and we are thankful for it!

A few funny quotes from the girls, a general update on them and pictures to follow....

Becca- As you know is such a girl and only likes to wear dresses or skirts to school...or anywhere really!
Conversation most mornings...

Me: Beck come get ready, and put on the clothes I have out for you!
Becca: Gross mom! Pants! Ah! I don't like pants!! Can I please wear a skirt!?
Me: Tuff Beck! (I know nice mom right)

Becca- While driving to park city one day she was looking out the window and said this.

Becca: Mom I really like going to chucrh, I miss primary today...Did you like going to church when you were a little girl? Do you miss primary?
Me: (feeling guilty because I hated going to church when I was little) Yes Beck I loved church, and still do.

Rachel-  She love love LOVES her Jessie doll she got for Christmas this year, and loves cars, and Thomas the Train! This year for her birthday she got a Buzz Light year! She is like the boy we never had ;) She likes girly things too though, I think mostly because her sister does. She requested sparkly pink TOMS for her birthday, that she got and loves! Go figure I guess.

One morning I was getting ready, and Rachel came into sit by me and was holding a picture of Jesus, and put it up by her face and said....

Rach: Mom do do do you fink I wook wike Jesus? Cuz cuz I think I do. I have brown wong hair, and eyes (totally looking at her self in the mirror and studying the picture all while saying this)
Me: (Trying not to laugh) Yes I think you do look like Jesus Rach!
Rach: (Giving herself one more look over in the mirror smiled, and left the room satisfied)

Livia- Loves me :) And I love it! No one else will do when I'm in the room haha! However she refuses to say my name, and will say "da da da" all day long! She is a real handful these days, but such a stinking cutie butt! AH! We love her! She loves Lucius (our cat) so much! She gives him kisses, and us on occasion when we ask for it. She loves her sisters, and da da! She calls food "dobby"? She still has to have a bottle full of milk 5 times a day, or will throw at fit! She loves spaghetti, and loves her blanket! It is so cute! When she is ready for bed, and catches sight of her blanket,  she will go crawling for it as fast as possible and throw herself at it face down with a huge sigh and kick her legs out of pure joy!

 An after school snack that the girls did NOT find amusing

 Livy loves books! And her fav place to go read is on top of the coffee table!

 The Lucius man watching a little tv

 Beck had to dress up like an old lady for school one day!

 Girls February birth-month lunch with cousin Maddy, Aunt Summer and Nana Lord at Bakers de Normandie

 Becca wanted to dress up like Jessie (toy story)

V-Day breakfast!

 Pink, and hearts everything all day on Valentines day this year!

 Up at my parents house. Becca trying to get the balloon that escaped to the high ceiling!

 Mean parents aren't we? Livy didn't seem to mind :)

Ringing in the new year at Island Park

We love going to Island Park, it is such a fabulous tradition! You get to get away to a winter wonderland and just enjoy family, good food, and relaxation. I only packed my pajamas and snow 

clothes for this trip :) We found this really cute book store/hot cocoa shop in West Yellowstone that we will visit every year from now on.