One thing you probably don't know about me is that I LOVE soundtracks to really good movies! Some of my favorites are:
The Chronicles of Narnia
Lord of the Rings
Pirates of the Caribbean
Harry Potter
Angels and Demons
...and I'm sure there are more that I can't think of right now.
This morning during Bubby's morning nap I read from Proverbs, Psalms and Ruth while listening to The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe Soundtrack and absolutely LOVED IT! God really gets me excited when I listen to such powerful music, especially when it's from an awesome movie like Narnia (one of my absolute favs!). It makes me imagine living in a world like the Narnians where there are talking creatures, epic battles, and fun adventures. It makes me excited for my life with Christ and all of the wonderful things he is doing and will do for me. Such JOY!
What brings you Joy today???
Friday, September 30, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
A Series on Apartment Living
I thought I should finally give you the official tour of our apartment. I'll take is slow so you can really grasp how much we have learned about living in a small apartment with a child, so I'll share about each room in separate posts through "A Series on Apartment Living."
Welcome to my kitchen! I tried to get pictures from all angles.
The back door leads into our storage room and the other leads to our hallway/entry way.
This doorway and window open to the living room.
Yes, the washer and dryer are in my kitchen.
This is the only counter space we have in our kitchen, very limited!
Our kitchen is actually quite large compared to our previous home. What I really enjoy about this kitchen is that we have enough room for the dining room table. It's really easy to put Bubby in his chair and leave him to eat while I do other things, like doing dishes, putting away groceries, or cooking. I also like how much space there is to get around. In our previous home there was a huge wall between our dining room and kitchen which would have made it challenging to get anything done while Bubby was eating.
If you can tell in the pictures, our floor is brand new linoleum that our Landlords put in right before we moved in. If you had seen the rotting wood floors that were here beforehand you probably would have thought I was nuts for moving in here. The cabinets were also freshly painted.
Some people are very particular about the location of their washer and dryer and you would think that the last place you would want them is in your kitchen. However, I actually really like having the washer and dryer in our kitchen. It's so easy to toss in a load when it's location is so easily accessible. When our washer and dryer were in the basement at our old house I would have to haul a load down the stairs, but now it is so convenient! I get a whole lot more laundry done now than I used to!
The kitchen is located in the center of our apartment which I love because I can easily do dishes or cook while Bubby is playing the living room. I also have a window that opens into the living room which really opens the kitchen up and allows for some natural light from the few windows that are in our apartment.
Even though there are many things I do like about our kitchen, there are LOTS of things I absolutely despise:
1) Our stove is awful. We were spoiled with a gas stove before we moved and now we are back to uneven coils and a slow cooking oven. I feel like I have to cook everything twice as long.
2) Our cabinet doors/drawers stick horribly! Sometimes I have to fetch my Hubby to get them open! The plus side to this is that I don't have to child proof my kitchen, the only doors that have a latch are the middle ones because they don't close.
3) Our freezer runs constantly and I can't figure out how to adjust the temp. So whenever I want ice cream I have to defrost it first. The door also doesn't close all the way which allows moisture in and creates a frozen seal which means I have to pull really hard to even get my freezer door open.
4) Old counter tops that stain. Hopefully some day these will get replaced. They are nasty and hard to clean!
5) No storage space. I am very limited on the amount of space to put things. Half of our old kitchen is now packed in our storage unit because we don't have room for it all here. I also have a cart in our storage room here with all of our appliances on it because we have no other place for them in the kitchen.
6) NO DISHWASHER! If you know me at all you know I absolutely despise doing dishes and now I have to handwash EVERYTHING! I think I do dishes about 6 times a day and they take up a lot of the limited counter space that I have available. This makes cooking difficult too because when your counters are covered in dishes you have no room to do anything. Can I just put the dirty dishes in the washer and turn it on "delicate wash"???? This is why I invented paper plate weekends and why when you come over for dinner we will serve you on paper plates rather than our fine china.
Welcome to my kitchen! I tried to get pictures from all angles.
The back door leads into our storage room and the other leads to our hallway/entry way. 
This doorway and window open to the living room. 
Yes, the washer and dryer are in my kitchen.
This is the only counter space we have in our kitchen, very limited!Our kitchen is actually quite large compared to our previous home. What I really enjoy about this kitchen is that we have enough room for the dining room table. It's really easy to put Bubby in his chair and leave him to eat while I do other things, like doing dishes, putting away groceries, or cooking. I also like how much space there is to get around. In our previous home there was a huge wall between our dining room and kitchen which would have made it challenging to get anything done while Bubby was eating.
If you can tell in the pictures, our floor is brand new linoleum that our Landlords put in right before we moved in. If you had seen the rotting wood floors that were here beforehand you probably would have thought I was nuts for moving in here. The cabinets were also freshly painted.
Some people are very particular about the location of their washer and dryer and you would think that the last place you would want them is in your kitchen. However, I actually really like having the washer and dryer in our kitchen. It's so easy to toss in a load when it's location is so easily accessible. When our washer and dryer were in the basement at our old house I would have to haul a load down the stairs, but now it is so convenient! I get a whole lot more laundry done now than I used to!
The kitchen is located in the center of our apartment which I love because I can easily do dishes or cook while Bubby is playing the living room. I also have a window that opens into the living room which really opens the kitchen up and allows for some natural light from the few windows that are in our apartment.
Even though there are many things I do like about our kitchen, there are LOTS of things I absolutely despise:
1) Our stove is awful. We were spoiled with a gas stove before we moved and now we are back to uneven coils and a slow cooking oven. I feel like I have to cook everything twice as long.
2) Our cabinet doors/drawers stick horribly! Sometimes I have to fetch my Hubby to get them open! The plus side to this is that I don't have to child proof my kitchen, the only doors that have a latch are the middle ones because they don't close.
3) Our freezer runs constantly and I can't figure out how to adjust the temp. So whenever I want ice cream I have to defrost it first. The door also doesn't close all the way which allows moisture in and creates a frozen seal which means I have to pull really hard to even get my freezer door open.
4) Old counter tops that stain. Hopefully some day these will get replaced. They are nasty and hard to clean!
5) No storage space. I am very limited on the amount of space to put things. Half of our old kitchen is now packed in our storage unit because we don't have room for it all here. I also have a cart in our storage room here with all of our appliances on it because we have no other place for them in the kitchen.
6) NO DISHWASHER! If you know me at all you know I absolutely despise doing dishes and now I have to handwash EVERYTHING! I think I do dishes about 6 times a day and they take up a lot of the limited counter space that I have available. This makes cooking difficult too because when your counters are covered in dishes you have no room to do anything. Can I just put the dirty dishes in the washer and turn it on "delicate wash"???? This is why I invented paper plate weekends and why when you come over for dinner we will serve you on paper plates rather than our fine china.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Random Facts
I am joining in with my friend Karlee and sharing some random facts about myself! Enjoy my weirdness!
*I make the bed at night right before I go to bed instead of in the morning
*I am convinced that I am part OCD because often if I touch something a certain way with one hand I have to touch it again the same way with the other hand
*I have never broken a bone
*I use Matrix Conditioning Balm because normal conditioner doesn't work for my hair
*I had a perm in high school
*I was a dancer from elementary school all the way till I graduated college
*I was a cheerleader from middle school all the way till I graduated high school. I was even captain of the football and basketball squads for a couple years!
*I used to twirl baton
*I talk to myself often
*When I get angry sometimes I blast Alanis Morrissette
*I despise showering and brushing my teeth, probably because when I'm tired and ready to go to bed the only thing I want to do is sleep.
*I make the bed at night right before I go to bed instead of in the morning
*I am convinced that I am part OCD because often if I touch something a certain way with one hand I have to touch it again the same way with the other hand
*I have never broken a bone
*I use Matrix Conditioning Balm because normal conditioner doesn't work for my hair
*I had a perm in high school
*I was a dancer from elementary school all the way till I graduated college
*I was a cheerleader from middle school all the way till I graduated high school. I was even captain of the football and basketball squads for a couple years!
*I used to twirl baton
*I talk to myself often
*When I get angry sometimes I blast Alanis Morrissette
*I despise showering and brushing my teeth, probably because when I'm tired and ready to go to bed the only thing I want to do is sleep.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Friday Joy
Helpful Hubby!Let me just say how THANKFUL I am to have a Hubby that helps out!
So far this week he...
*Went grocery shopping and only spent $160 on 2 weeks worth of groceries (he's such a saver!)
*Cleaned up my mess in the kitchen on his day off
*Helped me pick up the house and put away our clutter
*Brought home some flowers for me
*Made the bed
*Played with Bubby so I could get some things done around the apartment
*Made some very yummy brownies so we could enjoy dessert every evening this week
*Took the dog to the vet
...and so much more that I can't even remember! He is amazing!!!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
My Thursday Thought: God's Healing
Over the past several years God has healed me of a lot of issues. Physical issues. If you didn't know, I struggle with a lot of digestive problems. The list goes like this:
Chronic Gastritis:
Swelling of the stomach and lower esophagus, possibly bleeding, due to acid reflux. It can lead to polyps and ulcers (which I almost had once)
Acid Reflux:
When acid goes up from the stomach, into your esophagus and gurgles in your throat (nasty!)
IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)
Basically speaks for itself, a bowel that is easily irritated, lots of gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and is usually triggered by certain foods. (for me it's Mexican, Chinese and spicy foods which stinks because I love Mexican and Chinese food!)
Lactose Intolerance
Unable to digest lactose, which is in dairy products. Therefore I have to take Lactaid when I eat dairy. It's a digestive enzyme that helps break down lactose.
For a while there I also thought I had Celiacs Disease, but when I tried to eat gluten free it didn't really do much for me. All of this started in 2006 when I all of a sudden, no matter what I ate, I would get horrible reflux (literally anything I ate!). I ended up seeing a Gastroenterologist, having an upper endoscopy (when they stick a long tube down your throat with a camera on it to look in your stomach) and getting diagnosed with Reflux and Gastritis. They gave me some temporary treatment for it but it never helped so I just kept dealing with it and popping the Tums.
Then, right after Hubby and I got married I was having A LOT of problems. Throwing up, stomach pains, gas, bloating, reflux, and feeling very crummy whenever I ate. The only way to manage all of these issues was to take lots of medication. 2 Omeprazole in the morning, 1 Zantac (which is complete crap and did nothing!) at night, plus Milk of Magnesia for any "lower" issues. And on top of that still popping the Tums when I needed it. Whenever my IBS got really bad I would take the prescription Hyomax to help with those issues. I was convinced that this would be my life from then on and forever more. I would never heal, be taking tons of meds and still suffering. Plus, insurance companies don't help whatsoever with "pre-existing conditions" which meant I would never be able to really figure out what was wrong and try to fix it.
I've done a lot of praying over the years for healing and received lots of prayer, and God has definitely answered some of those prayers. One answer to prayer was learning that I was Lactose Intolerant, which was about 2 1/2 years ago. Learning that I couldn't eat dairy meant I was able to manage my diet by either cutting out dairy all together or taking Lactaid when I needed to eat my bowl of ice cream. This really helped to reduce a lot of my symptoms and now my IBS is a whole lot better. I also have learned to try to reduce the amount of spicy food I eat. Yes this means I have to eat bland tacos/fajitas and avoid eating lots of Chinese food, but my IBS really hasn't been a major issue in a long while!
On top of this I've been taking Probiotics. I know I've blogged about how great Align is and I would definitely still take it if it wasn't so expensive, but being that our family is now on a strict budget I've had to switch to Culturelle. It contains a different type of Probiotic but it works just as good and saves me $5-$10! I also drink a glass of Kefir every day or eat a nice big bowl of yogurt (while taking Lactaid!) to help give me the Probiotics I need. Probiotics have changed my life! Talk about my IBS issues going away, PRAISE THE LORD!
Reflux is still one issue that I struggle with and the Gastritis only acts up if my reflux isn't doing well. After changing my dairy diet and taking Probiotics, I've been able to stop taking the Milk of Magnesia, Zantac, and reduce my Omeprazole intake to 1 pill per day, rather than 2. This is AWESOME! It feels so good to only have to take 1 pill, and it saves money for me having to buy so much of it! I've tried cutting out the Omeprazole all together, but if I don't take it then by 10 a.m. I am feeling the reflux come on. I am trying to explore some natural remedies for Reflux that can help me manage this, like drinking Ginger Tea, Ginseng Tea, taking a Papaya Dietary Supplement, and drinking a glass of warm water in the mornings. We will see how this goes.
In the mean time I am 1. Praising the Lord for all of his help in healing me and giving me the answers and tools I need to cope with all of my digestive issues, and 2. praying for continued healing so that one day I no longer have to take Omeprazole! Wow that would be an awesome day!
Chronic Gastritis:
Swelling of the stomach and lower esophagus, possibly bleeding, due to acid reflux. It can lead to polyps and ulcers (which I almost had once)
Acid Reflux:
When acid goes up from the stomach, into your esophagus and gurgles in your throat (nasty!)
IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)
Basically speaks for itself, a bowel that is easily irritated, lots of gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and is usually triggered by certain foods. (for me it's Mexican, Chinese and spicy foods which stinks because I love Mexican and Chinese food!)
Lactose Intolerance
Unable to digest lactose, which is in dairy products. Therefore I have to take Lactaid when I eat dairy. It's a digestive enzyme that helps break down lactose.
For a while there I also thought I had Celiacs Disease, but when I tried to eat gluten free it didn't really do much for me. All of this started in 2006 when I all of a sudden, no matter what I ate, I would get horrible reflux (literally anything I ate!). I ended up seeing a Gastroenterologist, having an upper endoscopy (when they stick a long tube down your throat with a camera on it to look in your stomach) and getting diagnosed with Reflux and Gastritis. They gave me some temporary treatment for it but it never helped so I just kept dealing with it and popping the Tums.
Then, right after Hubby and I got married I was having A LOT of problems. Throwing up, stomach pains, gas, bloating, reflux, and feeling very crummy whenever I ate. The only way to manage all of these issues was to take lots of medication. 2 Omeprazole in the morning, 1 Zantac (which is complete crap and did nothing!) at night, plus Milk of Magnesia for any "lower" issues. And on top of that still popping the Tums when I needed it. Whenever my IBS got really bad I would take the prescription Hyomax to help with those issues. I was convinced that this would be my life from then on and forever more. I would never heal, be taking tons of meds and still suffering. Plus, insurance companies don't help whatsoever with "pre-existing conditions" which meant I would never be able to really figure out what was wrong and try to fix it.
I've done a lot of praying over the years for healing and received lots of prayer, and God has definitely answered some of those prayers. One answer to prayer was learning that I was Lactose Intolerant, which was about 2 1/2 years ago. Learning that I couldn't eat dairy meant I was able to manage my diet by either cutting out dairy all together or taking Lactaid when I needed to eat my bowl of ice cream. This really helped to reduce a lot of my symptoms and now my IBS is a whole lot better. I also have learned to try to reduce the amount of spicy food I eat. Yes this means I have to eat bland tacos/fajitas and avoid eating lots of Chinese food, but my IBS really hasn't been a major issue in a long while!
On top of this I've been taking Probiotics. I know I've blogged about how great Align is and I would definitely still take it if it wasn't so expensive, but being that our family is now on a strict budget I've had to switch to Culturelle. It contains a different type of Probiotic but it works just as good and saves me $5-$10! I also drink a glass of Kefir every day or eat a nice big bowl of yogurt (while taking Lactaid!) to help give me the Probiotics I need. Probiotics have changed my life! Talk about my IBS issues going away, PRAISE THE LORD!
Reflux is still one issue that I struggle with and the Gastritis only acts up if my reflux isn't doing well. After changing my dairy diet and taking Probiotics, I've been able to stop taking the Milk of Magnesia, Zantac, and reduce my Omeprazole intake to 1 pill per day, rather than 2. This is AWESOME! It feels so good to only have to take 1 pill, and it saves money for me having to buy so much of it! I've tried cutting out the Omeprazole all together, but if I don't take it then by 10 a.m. I am feeling the reflux come on. I am trying to explore some natural remedies for Reflux that can help me manage this, like drinking Ginger Tea, Ginseng Tea, taking a Papaya Dietary Supplement, and drinking a glass of warm water in the mornings. We will see how this goes.
In the mean time I am 1. Praising the Lord for all of his help in healing me and giving me the answers and tools I need to cope with all of my digestive issues, and 2. praying for continued healing so that one day I no longer have to take Omeprazole! Wow that would be an awesome day!
Friday, September 16, 2011
Friday Joy
What we've been doing lately...
Playing "So Big' and making big toy messes
Playing "So Big' and making big toy messes
Building "Binky" towers and knocking them down
Going on LOTS of walks in our new umbrella stroller (once or twice daily)
Reading lots of books...and Mommy cleaning up all the books that Bubby pulls off the shelf*Funny Story: After his bath, I dress Bubby on the floor...well, sometimes he sneaks away while I gather his clothes/diaper and he pulls all of the books off the shelf completely naked. Normally I would rush over so he won't accidentally pee all over them, but I did manage to get a picture once. For obvious reasons I won't post it, but it's pretty cute!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Belated Thursday Thought:Da' Blues
Sorry I haven't really had much to say in awhile. I haven't been in the best of moods lately. I think there are a few reasons for this :
1. I no longer have employees to socialize with which means my days are spent listening to my own thoughts (which aren't always interesting...most often I just talk to myself in my head)
2. I am learning what it's like to be a stay at home mom and lately (rather than intentionally spending some quality time with Bubby and cleaning my house) that has consisted of changing lots of dirty diapers, feeding a cranky baby, and watching a lot of The Office on Hulu. I did manage to make a decent grocery list, mop my floors, and shop for some consignment clothes for Bubby this week, that is quite an improvement!
3. I have been really disconnected from people, even God, and Satan has really been making me feel devalued (is that even a word???), worthless, and alone.
So I decided to pick up my Bible and read....and you know what I read?
1 John 3:1-3
"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that the world did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears we will be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure."
I guess I don't need to feel so crummy because you know what, someone DOES love me! My Father! And sometimes I forget that he is my King. And you know what TRUE Kings do? They take care of you. As a mother, do you ever wish someone was there to take care of you? You spend all day changing your child's diapers, cooking for them, feeding them, playing with them, rocking them, cuddling them, and loving them that don't you ever feel just plain neglected? Why can't someone come and take care of me all day? What if I don't want to cook? What if I don't want to change diapers? What if I need to be cuddled or rocked? Sometimes I just forget that my King does all that for me (and no I don't still wear diapers...haha, but I bet if I did Jesus would change them!). I have a lot of fears and worries about my future and especially my role as a mother, but I do not have to fear. This is just my temporary home and I don't need to give into what this world has to offer. I have King Jesus to raise me up! And you know what? He is Beautiful!!!
1. I no longer have employees to socialize with which means my days are spent listening to my own thoughts (which aren't always interesting...most often I just talk to myself in my head)
2. I am learning what it's like to be a stay at home mom and lately (rather than intentionally spending some quality time with Bubby and cleaning my house) that has consisted of changing lots of dirty diapers, feeding a cranky baby, and watching a lot of The Office on Hulu. I did manage to make a decent grocery list, mop my floors, and shop for some consignment clothes for Bubby this week, that is quite an improvement!
3. I have been really disconnected from people, even God, and Satan has really been making me feel devalued (is that even a word???), worthless, and alone.
So I decided to pick up my Bible and read....and you know what I read?
1 John 3:1-3
"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that the world did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears we will be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure."
I guess I don't need to feel so crummy because you know what, someone DOES love me! My Father! And sometimes I forget that he is my King. And you know what TRUE Kings do? They take care of you. As a mother, do you ever wish someone was there to take care of you? You spend all day changing your child's diapers, cooking for them, feeding them, playing with them, rocking them, cuddling them, and loving them that don't you ever feel just plain neglected? Why can't someone come and take care of me all day? What if I don't want to cook? What if I don't want to change diapers? What if I need to be cuddled or rocked? Sometimes I just forget that my King does all that for me (and no I don't still wear diapers...haha, but I bet if I did Jesus would change them!). I have a lot of fears and worries about my future and especially my role as a mother, but I do not have to fear. This is just my temporary home and I don't need to give into what this world has to offer. I have King Jesus to raise me up! And you know what? He is Beautiful!!!
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