E is for. . . Easter

Every year I look forward to spending Easter at my in-laws house. We have had a standing tradition to have an Easter egg hunt in their back yard ~ the kids love it! I love to take pictures out there of the kids "hunting". . . not only do I get some great expressions, but somehow they seem to have the greenest grass I have ever seen so early in the year, which makes for some wonderful pictures. Have a look for yourself.

Four little monkeys sittin' on a bench. : )

D is for. . . darn allergies

Alright, it's a stretch, but the allergies are on my mind today.

When Amanda was a few months shy of her first birthday, something had come up and we decided to have her tested for allergies. At that time, we found that she was allergic to wheat and dairy. Now, if you haven't looked at the ingredients on your foods lately, go ahead and check them out. . . it's interesting to see just how many of our everyday foods contain wheat, dairy, or both.

Then, just two days before her first birthday, she had a VERY strong reaction to angel food cake and we soon found that she was also allergic to egg whites as well as peanuts.

She has since outgrown her wheat allergy (thank you God!!), but the others have remained. Every year, within days of her birthday, we have her retested.

When she was tested after turning two, we found that her allergy levels had gone up. . . to the extent of us being prescribed an epi-pen for her. When she turned three, we found that her levels had again increased, and this time, it was a considerable amount.

We've been very cautious (we think) about what she eats. Everyone that we spend time with is aware of her allergies, just in case anything happens when we're not looking. We've talked with Amanda about her allergies and she's very aware of what she can have and not have. . . we even quiz her periodically to be sure. It's pretty sad to shop at the grocery store with her. . . I'll put things in the cart and SOOO many times she asks if there's anything in it that she can't have, and most of the time I have to tell her that, yes, there is something in it that she can't have.

She takes it all in stride, though. She's a real trooper when it comes to it all. She knows that anytime that we go out to dinner or to somebody's house, we typically will bring something with us that we know she can eat. If we go to a birthday party, she knows that she can't eat the birthday cake that everyone else is eating. . . typically I'll bring one of her "special" cupcakes that I make for her, or I'll bring some other special treat for her to have at that time.

That pretty much brings us up to today. We have noticed that Amanda has been feeling kinda yucky lately (aside from the cold that she had), so we decided to take her in for more allergy tests. This was the first time that we had taken her in for the scratch/skin test, and let me tell you, it was definitely traumatic for both Amanda and myself. It's so difficult to watch doctors, nurses, and lab techs poke on your baby and know that you've put her through this and not be able to do anything to stop it from hurting her physically or emotionally. I just have to stand by and wait for them to be done so that I can hug her.

Well, they poked my baby today. . . and much to our dismay, we found new allergies. We are now allergic to cats and dogs (and of course, we have both at our house). We've been given medications to help alleviate the symptoms, so that should help. The doctor told us that her levels are as high as any adult would have and that we can expect her allergies to get worse as she gets older. Yippee, huh?

Here's what my poor girl's back looked like after we got home. Except for the scribbles, it doesn't look too bad. . . we made time to stop and pick up some soy ice cream for her after the doctor appointment - that also made her feel better after we got home.

C is for. . . clean

Call it spring fever, cabin fever, OCD, a wild hair, whatever. . . I've been doing more cleaning lately in hopes of getting rid of all the "junk" that we really just don't need or use anymore. I figure that if I can put it away and not look at it or think about it for months on end, then I probably don't need it, right?

I've got one friend with her house on the market and another one moving in the next week or two. In the spirit of these wonderful ladies, I've been cleaning out and trying to maintain the level of cleanliness that I would need if my house were about to be shown at the drop of a hat. It's been kind of tough, especially with my two little ones running around behind me leaving a trail of toys.

Growing up, my mom got sick and wasn't able to maintain the house like she once had done. Looking back, I know that it frustrated her - but at the time, I was too young to understand and was embarrassed because of the mess. I wish that my mom were still around today so that I could apologize. . . not just for this, but for lots of other things - but that's a post for another day.

Here are some photos of my recent efforts. Enjoy!

B is for. . . babies

My girls seem to have gotten so big. In the grand scheme of things, I know that they are still just babies and have so much growing and learning yet to do. As I sit here reminiscing of the days just after each of my girls was born, I thought I'd share some of my favorite pictures from those very days. These always bring a smile to my face.

Chris holding Amanda for the first time ~ just after she was born.

Chris and Amanda having their first nap together while at the hospital.

Amanda and her two favorite guys ~ Daddy and Poppa. I love that you can see the pride in both of them.

Chris cutting the cord after Taylor was born.

Taylor while at the hospital.

Grammy and Poppa helping introduce Amanda to her new baby sister.

Hope you enjoyed this small glimpse of our little family. . . I know I did.

A is for. . . Amanda

Don't Worry, Be Happy!

I have a few friends out there who seem to be struggling with things in life right now. I would love to be the voice of reason and encouragement, but to be quite honest. . . I'm not the most eloquent individual. I feel it, but somehow can't seem to translate it into actual words that make any sense at all. So, in order to (hopefully) provide a little encouragement and support to my struggling friends, here are some quotes from the one who does it best. . . God!

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. ~ Matthew 11:28-30

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. ~ John 14:27

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. ~ Proverbs 3:5-6

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. ~ Isaiah 41:10

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you;
he will never let the righteous fall. ~ Psalm 55:2

I always think of the phrase "God only gives you as much as you can handle". . .It makes me feel strong. I've been through some pretty rough times that probably could have taken me down, but somehow I have always come out on top. Am I building character? Hmm. . .something to think about.

Snow Bunnies

Amanda and her cousins decided they wanted to play in the snow on Sunday. . . check out their excitement!