Health & Free Living

Today was a hard day. Today we said goodbye to our dog, Midnight. We found out that she had inoperable bladder cancer (TCC). She couldn't even urinate because the tumor was blocking her urethra. On the outside, she appeared fine -- totally the same. But she was dying. And it breaks my heart. We rescued Midnight in September of 2008 when she was 5 years old. I remember when I first saw her. Not only was she my favorite type of dog (a black lab/shepherd mix), her name was Midnight -- the same name as the dog I had growing up. To me, it was a sign that she was meant for us. When my son was born in November of 2009, I watched her mothering nature emerge. We had a cat then too, and Midnight would lay in front of the downstairs bassinet when Edmund was in it, making sure that the cat came no where near my baby or the bassinet. :) In 2010, we discovered a large tumor on her front leg. Turned out it was cancerous and we had to make some tough decisions then. We removed the tumor,

Since I was a teenager, I have obsessed over my weight. I was a normal-weight child growing up. I was taller than a lot of my friends, which added to making me feel bigger, but I wasn't overweight. When I was in 5th grade, however, I lost 11 pounds and all of my "baby weight." I've always played sports and exercised and it was around that time that I started eating healthier. Unfortunately, I was constantly critical of how I looked, comparing myself to others, and feared gaining weight. I have the most amazing, supportive, and loving parents -- this was totally from the things I heard in the world around me. I was a perfectionist and this was just a piece of it. In 2 Corinthians 12:7b-9, the apostle Paul talks about the thorn in his flesh: "So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, 'My

As I mentioned in an earlier post, my family went to Disney World for vacation. It was such a wonderful time! And I made sure that just because I was on vacation, I didn't stop keeping a healthy and chemical-free life. First of all, I brought my Nutrimeal shakes and blender bottle with me. Every morning, before we left for the day, I had my Nutrimeal shake (with peppermint oil) to get my day started off great. Not only did it set me up to succeed for the day with eating well, but it also kept me "regular." Now this may be a little TMI, but I'm sure many of you can relate. Often when I travel, things get a little backed up (I get constipated). Nutrimeal contains a lot of fiber, so not once did I have any issues. Woohoo! Secondly, I brought my oils with me. Which ones? Peppermint, Lavender, Raven (for my asthma), Xiang Mao, Sclar Essence, Progessence Plus, Thieves (along with my Thieves spray and Thieves hand sanitizer), and Aroma Siez. I carried them with me to

Eight years ago today, I married my soulmate and best friend. Back then, I had no idea how amazing my life would be. Back then, I had no idea how being a parent would grow my heart to a new level and make our marriage even deeper. Back then, I had no idea how rich and fulling marriage could be. I had no idea what love was -- I love this man more with every passing second. Brad Paisley's song "Then" says it perfectly: "Now you're my whole life, now you're my whole world. I just can't believe the way I feel about you, girl. Like a river meets the sea, stronger than it's ever been. We've come so far since that day, and I thought I loved you then...what I can't see is how I'll ever love you more, but I've said that before." You can listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBA_occjdcc Our marriage has shown me what grace and forgiveness is all about. I am a better person because of my husband. He has shown Chr

This past week my parents took my family (Walter, Edmund, Elise, and me) to Disney World. We had an amazing trip with so many wonderful memories and so many firsts. In many ways, it the first real family vacation my little family has taken (outside of going to the lake every summer). It was my kids' first time on a plane. And it was my kids' and husband's first time at Disney World. We returned late last night, and I think I'm the one having the toughest time returning to reality. ;) I loved being able to constantly be outside in the warmer weather instead of stuck inside with the cold and snow. I loved the constant busyness/movement, which I love so much more than just sitting around and doing nothing. I loved having the majority of the people I loved most surrounding me and experiencing everything together for the entire week (we all stayed in a two bedroom condo). But mostly, I loved watching the pure joy, delight, and excitement in my children's faces as t