Chiropractic Work and Kids

I am starting a new series focusing on health for the family and am so excited about today's post.  I work on keeping my whole family healthy and use a lot of various method which I will be sharing about from time to time.  Today I am sharing out our AMAZING chiropractor, Dr. Tucci, and why we take The Brothers to a chiropractor. 

We started taking Shane to see Dr. Tucci around the time Shane was 14 months old. I had never considered taking my baby boy to see a chiropractor but I was referred by my pediatrician because of Shane's chronic ear infections. Shane had 7 ear infections back to back from October to March and it seemed we were constantly at the doctors getting antibiotics. By the 7th infection we were given the option of seeing an ENT or trying some alternative medicine. Brian, my husband, suffered from chronic ear infections as a child and had several sets of ear tubes so we were prepared for the same with Shane because he was following the same pattern. However, cold and flu season was ending and I was told that an ENT would not quickly give Shane ear tubes because of the time of year, his age, and the number of infections he had. Additionally, I was not as comfortable with surgery for my baby if there was another way to help him. Thus, we started to explore the idea of alternative medicine and one choice was seeing a chiropractor. 

Brian and I were already established patients with a practice that we liked so we were comfortably taking Shane there. A husband and wife team run the practice and offer massage therapy and physical therapy services along with chiropractic work. I instantly connected with Dr. Tucci and had also seen her husband Dr. Holt whom I highly recommend. We talked with Dr. Tucci ahead of Shane's appointment and learned about how adjusting a child differs from an adult appointment and what the benefits were in terms of preventing and treating ear infections.  

As a mom, I was not prepared to have Shane lay on a table and get his neck adjusted with a quick movement because I was worried it would scare him. That is the image I had in my head but I was so wrong. An adjustment on a child is drastically different. Keith had an appointment as a newborn and only slight pressure with fingers was used. As a toddler, Shane had a tool used (seen in the picture above) but it was set to a very low pressure along with slight pressure with fingers and Dr. Tucci explained EVERYTHING to Shane. She took the time to get to know him, talk to him, and let him practice using the tool on her so he was comfortable with what was going on. The adjustment for my boys was stress free, pain free, educational, and beneficial.

The game plan with Shane was to get adjustments several times a year, specifically every time he got sick because he always got an ear infection after. Adjusting his neck allowed Shane's narrow eustachian tubes to properly drain and not make a wet and warm breeding ground for bacteria to grow. We followed the plan and the next time Shane had a cold he went in for an adjustment and he had no ear infection. Over the next year Shane had only two ear infections which we treated with antibiotics and adjustments that allowed his body to work like it should and gave him an immunity boost which is a great benefit. Past ear infections for Shane often took more than one round of antibiotics or came back but when coupled with adjustments I saw his infections were less severe or avoided all together! As a mom who had spent months rocking her baby at night, taking his temperature, going through rounds of antibiotics, and taking him to the doctor time after time I was so happy find a new plan that allowed my son to be healthier!

    In short, I don't think chiropractic work is a replacement for medicine but I do believe in the health benefits of it both for preventative care and treatment for the whole family. Brian and I have physically benefited from chiropractic work. I utilized treatment during my pregnancy for sciatic pain and had immediate results allowing me to comfortably walk and go about my daily activities again. Brian has seen improvement with his lower back pain that comes and goes from his job. My entire family stays healthier by making chiropractic adjustments part of our health care and I am blessed to have such a wonderful doctor!

Thankful Thursday: Walking

My little love is officially walking! With Shane I was feeling like it happened a little soon around 12 months but at the same time I was excited for him to make that leap. Keith did not start walking until about 15 months and at 26 lbs I was over the moon he started to walk because I admit my back was hurting. I am so thankful that Keith has reached this milestone! 

How I Got My Name

I am linking up with Andrea from Momfessionals today to share how I got my name. If you wanted to read about how The Brothers were named you can read about Shane here and Keith here. I LOVED picking my boys names and felt like it was a HUGE decision. As I already wrote about  how they were named you get to read about how I was named.

I was supposed to be named Devon. As gender ultrasounds were not done back when I was born, my parents liked that Devon fit both a boy and a girl and they were fairly settled on it. However, down the hall the night before I was born another couple that were some of my parents closest friends at the time named their son Devo. Not wanting to name me the same name as a child that I grew up playing with (can you hear my mom and her friend saying "Devon and Devon, time to come in'") my parents decided to look for a different name.

After I was  born my parents could not decide. I have an older sister and having two children of the same gender myself I know it can be difficult to come up with a name. My mom said that I just looked like a Heather. I seemed to have a sweet, field and farm like look to me and my mom liked the name so after a couple days of having no name I was called Heather.

My middle name, Brooke, was named after the friend who name their son Devon. He is a doctor and joked that if he could not deliver me I should be named after him. Heather Brooke flowed nicely and he was not going to be delivering me so I was named after Peter Brooks for my middle name.  I must admit that I like my name and my parents chose well. 

Crock Pot Chicken with Pan Sauce

The ultimate comfort food to me is garlic mashed potatoes alongside a roasted chicken. These days, roasting a chicken is a little hard with The Brothers keeping my attention on them and not the thermometer but I finally found the perfect way to crock pot a chicken by adapting a recipe from a friend. This turns out moist and perfect every time. It's fool proof. Boil a few potatoes and mash them up,  saute a few cups of spinach to go alongside this chicken and dinner is served!

Ingredients

2 lemons

3 heads garlic

3 bay leaves, preferably fresh

one 5-6 lb chicken

salt

pepper

1 T flour

Directions

1. Slice the lemons in half and lay flat side down on the bottom of the crock pot.

2. Slice the head of the garlic heads off and lay flat side down on the crock pot.

3. Remove any insides from the chicken, rinse, and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Lay chicken on the lemon and garlic in the crock pot and cover. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

5. Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the crock pot and let rest for 15 minutes. 

6. While the chicken is resting remove the lemons and garlic and strain the sauce into a fat separator. If you don't have one just pour the sauce into a plastic bag and hold over a bowl and snip the corner of the bag allowing the sauce to flow into the bowl and stopping just as the fat that should be at the top is near the bottom. Reserve the fat.

7. In a small sauce pan, add a little of the fat and mix with the flour. Stir until combine and allow to brown for about one minute over medium heat. Add the sauce to the pan and squeeze any juices left in the lemons. Stir and allow the sauce to thicken for about 3-4 minutes.

8. If making mashed potatoes I like to squeeze the garlic cloves out of the head and mash them into the potatoes. I also saute spinach and add some of the roasted garlic to the spinach along with half an onion for the perfect meal!

So last Friday I did not blog. I have been so diligent about writing 5 days a week but for the first time I was having some technical difficulties and my post did not happen. It felt good to take a bit of a break so this coming week I am going to be starting to write a little less frequently so I can focus a bit more on family life. I love to be able to document our life and share some fun activities and recipes but I want to be present and enjoy the little years which means just a few less posts.

Thankful Thursday: Costco

I don't shop at Costco for everything but the few staple items I do buy from there I help me stay on budget. At least once a month I drive 17 minutes to get to Costco to by my organic honey, organic maple syrup, organic peanut butter, select organic fruit and veggies, and a few other items. My whole family is excited we are getting a Costco close to us! I can't quite wait to see those big red letters along with an open sign because Costco just got a whole lot closer!

Come On In Shane's Nursery

I had so much fun sharing Keith's nurser that I wanted to share what Shane's nurser looked like. If you wanted to see Keith's nursery you can read all about hit here. Today I am sharing Shane's nursery. This little room no longer exists in my home but it was fun to look back and see how his room started and how much it has changed! Come on in!

We waited until we found out that we were having a boy in September before we even talked about names or a nursery. Once we announced we were expecting and the gender around 24 weeks we tackled cleaning out what was our guest room and decorating a nursery 

We started really simple with a Kendall crib that was a shorter model and a matching dresser with a change table on top. I found the crib bedding with airplanes and really liked it so we purchased the sheets, the red madras crib bumpper and skirt, and selected a bit of  a travel/airplane theme to his room. 

I painted and stamped a little sign on the entry which recently changed but for about $1.50 this made the entry into his room fun and stuck with the aviation theme. 

We used my late grandmother's rocking chair in the room and tossed a throw blanket over it in a matching red. The blanket is from Pottery Barn. I found a hand made wooden airplane that we strung from the ceiling and then we printed off some images of a compass (not shown) and airplane and ordered a map from Etsy for $3. I have three Pottery Barn frames. All in all I spent more on the frames than the art work but I figured the frames would last a long time and knew Shane would want to change the art over time.

Once we had Shane we ordered his name and mounted it above his crib. If you look close, yes that is my baby sleeping on a weird wedge. Both my boys had acid reflex BAD and we were given an Rx for a sleeping wedge designed by an OT. It is totally safe and was a complete game changer with sleep for my kids.

So that was how my sweet Shane's room looked when he was a baby. I will share in a couple weeks how we moved him into his twin bed and pictures of what his toddler room looks like now. Much more color and a lot more functional but still his special spot. 

My Favorite Vacation

Brian and I have been planning our next vacation and it made us start thinking about our past trips. Though we enjoy traveling, we have not done a lot of it. Due to finances, work schedules, school, and kids we have never taken a dream trip to Europe or been able to go away for a week long trip to Maui. One day we hope to travel more but for now we tend to stay closer to home while The Brothers are little. 

Growing up I traveled a lot with my family. We went to Hawaii a couple of times, Florida, Washington DC, the east coast, New York, Nevada, and Arizona. I really enjoyed traveling to see different parts of the country and enjoyed the beaches. We also did a lot of local camping, boating on the Colombia River, or visiting my Grandparents who have lived all over the country. We always enjoyed vacation time.

Brian and I have not traveled quite as extravagantly but we have enjoyed every trip we have taken. We have traveled to Disneyland and California several times. We also went to Mexico on our Honeymoon and have taken several local getaways to the San Juan Islands or the Oregon cost. My very favorite trip with Brian was to Lake Tahoe. 

We stayed at the Lake Tahoe Diamond Resort and it was so nice. It was right on the water so we could swim in a warm pool (Lake Tahoe is COLD!) and still see the lake and mountains. 

We opted for a smaller room with a kitchenette but there are full kitchens with two bedrooms and a little sitting area. 

The water was freezing but beautiful. We spent a lot of time reading and relaxing on the dock.

We also went sailing which was my favorite part. Growing up I had a small sail boat and never got the hang of it. I still love sailing and enjoyed taking the beauty in. I would recommend going in a group or getting a private boat because we had two WILD couples with us and Brian and I had to avoid them the whole time. It made for a memory but we tried to stay at the back of the boat with another couple that was a bit more our speed and style.

Everywhere on the lake you could see amazing boats and clear water. 

Another day we rented kayaks and paddled up and down the beach. It was really windy but fun to get a work out in and see the homes and private beaches.

We did not go up to check the view out but heard it was nice to hop on the ski lift and get a beautiful shot of the area. We opted to shop in the town center and stay down by the lake.

 Food wise I can't remember the name of the places but we had lots of good sea food at one local place.

We also liked breakfast and lunch at Red Hut Cafe. It was sooooo good and I highly recommend it. It was total diner food and this was long before we ate our clean, healthy, real food diet but on a trip sometimes a milkshake is a great treat and we enjoyed ours!

All in all the trip was fun because of all the water activities and bikes. It was a really affordable trip for us and we were able to stay a week. The only downside was my allergies went crazy so Benadryl and I had a tight relationship that week and it made me a little more tired. My allergy medicine was not cutting it and I was miserable the first day until we found a drug store. Other than that, we enjoyed walking around, swimming, eating, reading, and the beautiful views. 

What has been your favorite vacation as an adult?

The Friend List

Young moms focus a lot on the babysitter list. How else can we get the chores done, a little bit of rest, or a night out with our spouse without it? A babysitter is a mini life line for stay at home moms and working moms, a bit of support that can help us tackle the to do list or recharge. Moms exchange names, post ISO on social media, and ask friends when their older children are going to be starting babysitting. We invest a lot of time into finding reliable, safe, and fun people to add to the babysitter list.

Another list I heavily rely on is the friend list. It is one that I have taken a lifetime to make and I dare say is more important than the babysitter list. I have had some names remain on my list for decades and some names are new. I have diligently invested in and grown a relationship these women to the point where they have become another lifeline for me. My friends are who I call when I need to process a hard day of parenting, get meal ideas from, and who help me weigh the pros and cons of sending Shane to preschool at 3 or 4 among other things. They love the Lord, they extend grace, they shower me in love. On a hard day, a happy day, a lonely day, a mundane day these are the women I cherish. Despite my short babysitter list, the friend list is the one that I really need to focus on when it comes to support.

Friday Favorites: Natural Beauty Products

If you have read my blog for any length of time or know me personally then you know my commitment to healthy foods. I am BIG on cutting out all processed and artificial additives from our diet. We eat minimally processed foods (think maple syrup and honey as sweeteners over refined cane sugar) and if our food is colored in any way it's not from artificial food dye. This way of eating is not for everyone but it is how we try to eat. When it comes to other products I try and do the same. Today I am linking up with Andrea from Momfessionals and sharing my favorite natural beauty products. I am on the low key side ( I think) when it comes to makeup and hair items but I like natural and chemical free and in that area I am high maintenance. 

Bare Minerals Makeup

If I made the switch to less preservatives in food it is only fitting that what goes on my eyes, face, and lips is preservative free. I actually LOVED how this makeup covered and went on the first time I used it and I like that it really does not smell compared to other brands except for a mint scent to their lipsticks and glosses. The foundation covers my freckled face well and I like the mascara. My daily makeup routine takes about 5 minutes and 7 on a date night. I am low key but most days I brush on some foundation, blush, eye shadow, mascara, and something hydrating on my lips. On a day I try a little harder I add gloss and eyeliner. I am simple but this brand works great and does not contain paraben, synthetic fragrances or artificial oils. 

Acure Face Wash and Lotion

I just made the switch from Keihl's brand after realizing that my face lotion contained phenoxyethanol, a preservative and is a kin irritant and a neurotoxin, as well as two other parabens. I just don't care to have that stuff on my face and absorbed into my skin so I ditched my old products and am giving Acure a try. I admit, so far, it does not work as well as Keihl's brand so I am hoping in time I either adapt to it and like it or that I find something that works. At least I know what to look for in my face wash and lotion now. 

Coconut Oil

You can buy this as a two pack from Amazon and keep on in the kitchen and one in the bathroom. This oil is great to help heal cracked heels or as a hand cream. I don't recommend using it during day as it takes a while to absorb and is a bit more greasy but at night, with socks on your feet, or simply rubbed into your hand this works wonders at soft skin. 

Shampoo and Cream Rinse 

Not everything is organic in this brand and I read a study that carrots really don't do a not when applied to the hair. One needs to consume carrots to improve the growth of hair but that was just one study and I am not a scientist. I do however like that the ingredients are 99% natural and paraben free. Yup, that word keeps coming up and I try my best to avoid them. This shampoo is also a new find. Some people complain of the smell but I use the baby shampoo for my kids and love it and it works well for the price point. I found $40 bottles of shampoo that in a free world I would love to purchase but on my budget this little bottle works for the kids and I. 

Thermal Protectant 

After I had the Brother's my hair got curly. Each of the boys made it that much more of a beachy wave like my older sisters hair. I tend to let it air dry these days and toss it in a bun the just add a few curls and go but I also will straighten it out because it looks nice and lasts me a few days. I only wash my hair 2-3 times a week and when I am using a heat tool I like to add a few spritz of this on to make my hair stay healthy. It is organic, a little goes a long way, paraben free and works! I want to try their shampoo and cream rinse but the price is just a little steep for me however, this product at about $16 for 6 months on my long hair is worth every penny. 

Butter London

When I was pregnant with Shane I went the safe route with whatever came into contact with my body. This was the start of my researching products and Butter London was the rare polish I used because it is toxin free. Yup, it still has chemicals and it's not organic but I am willing to wiggle a bit in some areas. I use an organic nail polish remover and I don't paint my nails often. Blowing Raspberries is my current favorite color.

Stress Away

I admit I can get a little stressed. Getting a one and three year old to bed by myself most nights can wear on me but I like the smell of this Stress Away oil and it is natural. I also like Lavender and these two scents/oils have replaced my perfume. I don't use it a lot but when I do I grab a bottle of oil.

If you missed it on Wednesday, I shared a very personal story of Shane's birth. Shane had some complications during pregnancy and delivery and I love how God's hand was on his little life. If you need a little reminder of the God's grace and timing Shane's birth story is worth the read.

Have a happy weekend!

Thankful Thursday: Aunt Rachel

I have a sister! She LOVES my children and I am so thankful for her pouring into my babies.  I can't quite express how wonderful it is to have someone that will come at 9 pm when you are in labor to watch your one year old, that will stop by during the newborn haze so you can take a nap, and that genuinely loves my children so much that she will kiss their little toes in adoration. 

Our friend Chris took this picture and it just melts my heart every time I see it. Sweet little Keith and Shane will never be lacking in love with an Aunt like Rachel. 

Shane's Birth Story

My sweet little Shane got his name, which means "God is gracious" because Brian and I truly felt the Lord's hand of grace and protection over us during the birth of our first son. It is a very personal story to me. I love the miraculous beauty in Shane's birth story because you can see the hand of God on my son's life. Today I am sharing about how my eldest, spirited, charismatic son came into the world because it is a testament to God's grace in our lives. Shane's entire birth was nothing like I planned but I always saw God in control and His perfect plan taking place. We had the right doctors, the right nurses, the right time to bring Shane into the world. 

Throughout my pregnancy with Shane I measured small. I struggled with morning sickness and lost weight at the beginning even with medication. I was measuring 5 weeks behind at my 37 week appointment which urged my midwife to talk to me about some possible concerns. She did an ultrasound in the room that day and saw that Shane was still sitting breach on top of her concerns of him measuring small. She suggested the following week, if Shane had not made significant growth, that we do a more in depth ultrasound to see what was going on and possibly try and turn Shane. 

The following week we had a snow storm. Brian and I lived in a conversion zone so the local weather is a bit more exaggerated where we were. Brian was home that day but even with snow tires and a SUV he did not think it was safe to drive. We called our midwife and talked to her on the phone to see if we should try and come in. In the end, as Shane was still kicking and moving, we decided to hold off on our appointment and stay at home.

At my 38 week appointment I was told that Shane had flipped head down but he was continuing to measure small. Shane was measuring 32 weeks and I was asked to stay for an open ultrasound appointment that day. I waited for 3 hours  and I was never able to be fit in so I was asked to come back first thing on Monday. That weekend I felt at peace because my midwife had not given me much cause for concern and we prayed and prayed for Shane's health. I believe in the power of prayer.

I went in on Monday by myself because Brian had started work up again at a desk job after 6 weeks off from an injury. We wanted him to get as many days of work in as he could because he had take so much time off. The moment the nurse asked me if anyone would be joining me for my ultrasound I felt my heart drop a bit with worry. I had never really been concerned up until that question and that moment. Once the ultrasound started I saw my sweet baby up on the screen and then nurse began to check his measurements. She measure his head which she said was fine, his legs and arms which she said was fine, then she measured his belly and paused. I read on the screen that his little belly was 30 weeks which I knew was not where I should be at. Then the nurse moved onto my placenta and I saw a scale of colors. My placenta should have been vivid with color but all I saw was a lot of black, and the lower functioning colors on parts. The nurse immediately excused herself from the room, was gone for a couple of minutes, then came back in and asked me if I had an appointment that day. I knew something was wrong.

After my ultrasound I checked in with the front desk who said to head on home and come back tomorrow for a follow up at my 39 week appointment as opposed to waiting two hours for an ultrasound consult. I hesitantly drove home feeling a bit uneasy but was reminding myself that I would get a call if anything was wrong. On my drive home I had a call but I missed it. The call had been from my midwife. Her message said "Heather, I am calling with the results of your ultrasound and need you to give me a call back so we can...talk about the plan." I called her back and she was on lunch. 

When my midwife called me back she told me simply that "it was time for baby to be born" and I needed to get myself back to the hospital now. I asked if I could wait for Brian and was told I needed to be there within the hour. Shane was ok but I needed to be monitored and have him today. I immediately called Brian, burst into tears, and told him to meet me at the hospital. I thought I could drive myself but decided to call a good friend because I was feeling emotional. Brian beat us there and I met my midwife at the door with two sweet nurses who walked me right past triage and exam rooms and into a birthing suite. I was told that I was going to be induced, everything was OK, and I would be monitored the entire time to make sure Shane was ok. At this point I never even bothered to ask what was actually wrong I was just focused on having this baby. I was given an IV with Pitocin and waited for labor to start. I was oddly at peace with everything which is not in my nature when I don't have the why behind the what. 

After 17 hours I was still at the same stage as I was when I came in. I was having a lot of strong contractions back to back and by 7 am I was exhausted from being up all night, my body was tired from 9 hours of strong contractions, and I had taken no pain reducers at this point only two rounds of Pitocin. The nurse finally urged me to take a narcotic just so I could sleep a short while. I weighed the pros and cons and decided it was what my body needed so I took one round of a narcotic despite my plan for a natural birth. It was a weird feeling of being out of my body for about an hour and just took the edge of for a short nap. At 8:30 am I was starting to feel contractions again. My midwife was back from the night off and in the room with me. I LOVED my midwife. She talked a bit with me about how my body was resisting labor and said that we can up the Pitocin, have a c section, or try for a couple more hours with a 2 pm deadline. I was still right where I had been when I came in and feeling frustrated.

At 10 am I asked for another round of narcotics and to be given an epidural because at 2 pm, like it or not, I was going to be having an epidural for my c section. I had an intern anesthesiologist and after two tries that were not the most comfortable she got my epidural started. By 11:20 I was feeling pain free and though I was concerned about the medicine hurting Shane, I was really loving the fact that I could talk and breath again. Apparently and epidural was exactly what my body needed. I responded so well that after one hour and a half hours my body progressed all it needed to be ready to deliver. Brian had gone out in the hallway and after checking me the nurse went running after him to come on back in. 

I pushed with Shane for about 19 minutes and it was painless, easy, and a super amazing experience. I was so excited to be a mom and when he was born I thought I could be at ease. The moment Shane was born my midwife held him up and it was silent. My midwife said to call the NICU and worked on Shane with some suction, back patting, and the news she got him breathing. I got to take a quick peek at him and kiss his forehead and he was taken upstairs in Brian's arms. I sat downstairs in recovery for about 2 hours wondering what Shane looked like and how he was. Brian sent me a few pictures and told me Shane was in an open incubator but needing respiratory support and his body temperature was being monitored.   

After about 2 hours I was wheeled upstairs to see Shane. Brian was holding his hand and he said that he wanted to name him Shane because it was what he looked like to him. At that point Brian could have named our son anything he wanted but I loved the name meaning "God is gracious" because it fit our son's story.  You can read more about his name here. We spent some time as a family of three and after 4 hours in the NICU Shane was discharged and I brought him downstairs. We introduced him to his grandparents and great grandparents and I got to spend about two hours with Shane downstairs. I was tired and wanted to be able to rest but after everyone had gone my sister wanted to stop by and Brian needed some food so we welcomed one last visitor for the day. While Rachel and I were talking, I was holding Shane and nurse came in to do a quick check. I was told Shane needed to head back upstairs to the NICU.

Shane spent a total of six full days in the NICU and it was a roller coaster! Adapting to a new baby with an extended hospital stay was challenging and a blessing all in one. The nurses were so helpful and kind. I learned so much about how to care for Shane, much more than if he had been in the maternity wing. However, it is challenging not being able to hold your baby or holding them with tubes and wires on their tiny little bodies. Additionally, sleeping and trying to get yourself fed in the NICU is a challenge so it makes an already sleep deprived season all the more challenging.

Shane as born at 5 lbs 10 oz and 19 and 1/4 inches long at 1:32 pm. He had Asymmetrical Intrauterine Growth Restriction due to low placental dopplers which caused his little body to be hypoglycemic because his pancreas had not fully formed. If we had waited to deliver Shane I was told he would have been a still born. Shane struggled to eat, regulate his body temperature, breath, and had several blood sugar crashes because of the hypoglycemia. It was amazing that a little IV of sugar water (simply put) was keeping our son from having was looked like seizures and allowing his body temperate and breathing to regulate. We had the most wonderful doctor who worked with us on keeping Shane's weight (which dropped to 5lbs) where it should be and we worked on supplementing his feedings with fortified breast milk from a bottle. Shane came home on Superbowl Sunday and when the rest of our state was glued to a TV cheering my little family was celebrating the day we got to take our son home! God is truly gracious!

Thank You God For...Me!

Shane prayed a prayer today that warmed my heart and made me think. At dinner he prayed "Dear Jesus, thank you for today, thank you for this food, thank you for Mommy, Daddy, Keith, Chloe, and Shane. Amen." It was so sweet and simply but it stood out to me that he thanked God for himself. To me that was foreign. I suppose, at the risk of sounding self centered and conceited, I just never thought to thank God for myself. 

The more I thought about Shane's prayer, the more I realized what a grateful statement it was. Thank you God, for me! Thank you for this life. Thank you for this body that birthed two babies. Thank you for the drive and determination to study and learn. Thank you for a heart that is tender and sensitive towards others. Thank you that you made me in your images, that you love me, and that you created me.

Thank you God, for me. 

Breakfast Ideas

I have already shared how we handle lunch in our home so today I thought I would share breakfast ideas.  Normally we start our day with me and The Brothers and Brian will come down about 1-2 hours later because our schedules don't quite align. We have made it work so that sometimes breakfast we will have with him (the kids might wait an hour by the time I have them up, downstairs, changes, milk  warmed up in cups, ect.) and other days we we eat without Brian. So here are a few ideas. We all eat the same thing except for Shane gets a yogurt when we have eggs because of his allergy. 

strawberries and cinnamon apple muffins  

* the link will take you to cinnamon raisin quick bread but I omit the raisins and make mini muffins with the batter. My kids eat them better and they are much easier to pop onto a plate, store, and the perfect size for little hands! 

strawberries, yogurt, and granola with a fried egg, green onion, and cherry tomatoe 

scrambled egg, pear, and a whole wheat tortilla

oranges and oatmeal

scrambled egg with sauteed tomato, sweet potato, and spinach 

Other Breakfast Ideas

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins

French Toast

Apple Sauce and Whole Wheat Pancakes

Whole Grain Cereal and Milk

Fruit and Nut Bars with Yogurt

Baked Oatmeal with Berry Sauce

Egg in a Heart with Fruit 

German Pancake with Fruit

Friday Favorites For Easter

I am linking up with Andrea from Momfessionals and sharing my favorites for Easter. Now that I have The Brothers I feel like I have a HUGE responsibility and privilege to bring the fun and learning to holidays. I want to make memories, grow their love for the Lord, and expand their understanding of the why behind holidays. This Easter season my kids are getting Easter baskets and decorating eggs but we are also doing a lot to teach that He is the reason that we live and that He is the reason for the season.

Resurrection Rolls

Andrea made these rolls with her little ones and I am planning on doing these Easter morning with my kids but with a little bit of a healthy twist to accommodate our commitment to healthy food. I have all the ingredients to make homemade whole wheat dough and we are filling ours with some specialty marshmallows and honey with cinnamon. I love that through cooking, something that Shane adores, I cant give my kids some tangible and visual understand of the miracle of Christ rising from the dead. Click on the link to read more about these rolls and consider joining me in making them some time this weekend to teach your kids.

Happy Easter Banner

Last year I picked up this Easter banner on clearance from William Sonoma. I normally like to make my banners like these paper bunting banners but I knew with a new baby I was going to be short on time and thought I might as well grab this and it has served us well this year and last. I love the addition of bunnies and eggs and the colors against our paint.  I like teaching The Brothers why we are happy this season. We are happy because Jesus lived!

Bunnies

Growing up I we had pet bunnies. At one point all three of us kids had our own. I was given lots of little bunnies over the years and you can find a lot of these childhood memories decorating my house during the Easter season. I like to teach about the new life that we have in Christ and seeing it mirrored in creation through baby animals, blooms, and the fresh newness of spring. 

Palm Branch

Shane came home from Sunday school with a Palm Branch shouting Hosanna all over the house as he waved his craft around. I love that his craft made such an impact and we could continue to teach that we celebrate our Savior this season.

Collard Shirt

I don't have little girls with bows in their hair and ruffled dresses but I do have two handsome sons who I still adore dressing up! Some slacks with these gingham shirts are the perfect outfit for Sunday and we might attempt a bow tie but I doubt they will keep them on. A mama can hope, right? We