Miracle Snow on Christmas Day!

For this blog, I am entering Susanna Hill's 5th annual Holiday Contest.  Here are the rules below.  Also, check out other great stories on her blog:  http://susannahill.blogspot.com.

Contest Rules: 
Write a children's story (children defined here as ages 12 and under) beginning with any version of "Rocking around the Christmas tree at the Christmas party hop."  You may use that actual opening, or you may change it to any similar version.  It is not to exceed 350 words.  

And a side note: I originally wrote this as a short story (it has since been condensed) a few weeks ago coming home from a trip, and it was so cold there was ice on the trees.  In Texas, you never know what kind of weather you are going to get in December and today it was 82 degrees here in the Big Country area (Central/western part of Texas).  And of course, we were all wearing t-shirts and some of us were even wearing shorts with Christmas just two weeks away!!!  Who knows though?  Maybe we will get a little snow here by Christmas Day!  Thanks for stopping by my blog and I hope you enjoy reading my entry!   



Miracle Snow on Christmas Day!

Dreaming about a snow covered yard 
every Christmas Day.
It's 80 degrees and Brandon's wearing shorts,
but in snow he wants to play.

Longing for a snow covered yard,
but the sun looks here to stay.
He's sweating and he's frowning
so he decides it's time to pray.

"I'm asking for a snow covered yard 
on this Christmas Day.
Dear Lord, send us a miracle snow? 
Please? Wouldn't that be okay?"

Hoping for a snow covered yard,
Brandon waits patiently.
He knows his prayers were heard 
so he gazes out the window quietly.

Looking for a snow covered yard 
as the temperature begins to drop.
Rain drops change to icy pellets
then snowflakes falling non-stop!

Playing in a snow covered yard
on this Christmas Day. 
It's 30 degrees and Brandon's wearing a coat,
and he hopes it stays this way!

Whining, Complaining and Resting

The past few weekends, I have noticed Katelyn has longed to be home.  One of the weeks, Brandon and Sophie ran an errand and Katelyn and I stayed home (primarily because she wouldn't get out of her pajamas after being asked multiple times).  She was whining and complaining before they left, but after they left her whining was gone.  She seemed content to simply be at home.  I then realized maybe it was a good idea that we just sit for a while.  I am home most of the week while she is gone around 50 hours a week (mainly school and church).  We sat on the couch together and I just held her while we read some books.  Then I just held her.  There was no TV on.  No music playing.  We just sat in the stillness.  

This past weekend was a repeat again.  Whining, complaining, and staying in her pajamas after being told to get dressed so we could leave.  I once again decided she needed me to stop what I was doing and just hold her.  There was a bit more noise this week because I ended up holding both Katelyn and Sophie, but they both enjoyed it and just rested.   After a busy week, it seemed to be what they and I both needed.

As I started to reflect on how much Katelyn needed to stop and sit still with me, I began to think about how God wants me to sit with Him.  Not just a quick time alone with Him, but rather He wants me to rest in Him.  There have been so many weeks lately where I have been on the go… traveling to see family, hanging out with friends, teaching/volunteering at church, going to social events, etc.  My spiritual body knows I am missing something.  

I think in the midst of those weeks when I am gone and when I am very busy, I need to take time to be held.  Maybe I am tired, maybe I am whining, maybe I am complaining, maybe I am physically exhausted or mentally exhausted.  The Father is waiting to hold me.  He is waiting to just sit on the couch for a while with me.  He is waiting with open arms and ready for me to put everything on hold and pause in the silence.  He is waiting to be by my side as I read His Word down on the floor of my room or sitting at the kitchen table.  Or even as I close my eyes in my bed and I give Him all my cares, worries, doubts, fears, lists, whines, gripes, complaints and fall asleep and simply rest in Him.  

Is it time for you to sit with the Father for a while?    

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest," Matthew 11:28.

Sophie and the Teal Pumpkin -- Writing Contest

This week, I am entering Susanna Leonard Hill's 5th annual Halloweensie Writing Contest.  The rules in the contest are:

- It must be 100 words or less.

- It must include the words: haunt, dark, and costume.  

I hope you enjoy reading this story for kids as much as I enjoyed creating it!  (And for those of you who know my three year old daughter, Sophie, I am indeed writing this story in honor of her.  Every holiday, every party, every meal, we have to know the ingredients of what she is consuming.  This year, there are many people joining in on the Teal Pumpkin movement and helping our little girl and thousands of other children not feel left out by providing more options than just sweet treats.)  

Sophie and the Teal Pumpkin

Sophie is on a hunt.
Her allergies are real.
She is searching this Halloween 
for a pumpkin painted teal. 

She puts on her costume
Spins and twirls.
She adorns her hair
With beautiful curls. 

Out the door she goes
With mommy behind
She has one thing 
on her mind. 

She is looking for a home
With prizes instead of treats
Because there are many candies 
She cannot eat. 

Past the haunted house 
that glows.
Past orange pumpkins
in long rows. 

At last, just before dark she squeals!
Now she is jumpin'!
She found a home
with a prized teal pumpkin! 

From Infant Carrier to Kindergarten --- Let a New Phase and Stage of Motherhood Begin

As a little girl, I loved playing house.  I loved being a mother to all my baby dolls.  All 13 of them.  I would feed them, rock them to sleep, dress them.  I can even still tell you their names.  Motherhood was always a lifelong dream and desire.   In July 2010, Brandon and I welcomed Katelyn Louise in the world and I began the journey of being a stay at home mom.  I learned very quickly what it was like to have someone so dependent on us.  While I was pregnant, it was hard to fathom a baby solely relying on me for food.  I had taken all the breastfeeding classes and read a book or two, but actually feeding a baby every couple of hours was a steep learning process.  Lots of tears, a lot of lost sleep, but eventually mom and baby got in synch.

Then learning how to strap a baby into an infant carrier car seat....let me rephrase that.... a screaming baby into a car seat was another process learned very quickly.  And then there was the day when she was probably two weeks old and I decided it was time for me to go somewhere with my newborn Katelyn.

 I had always been with Brandon or a family member when I had ventured out so this would be the first time for me to put her in the carseat alone and drive somewhere.  I remember trying to time it just right so that she would be asleep (and well fed) for our first journey alone.  I put her in the carseat.  I started the car.  She was still thankfully asleep.  I started driving to the other side of town.  I wasn't sure where I was going.  I was just excited to be in the car.  I drove about 10 minutes and found my way into the Home Depo parking lot.  I parked on the edge of the lot.  Then I just sat there.  I had taken my daughter by myself on our first outing.  Reality was sinking in-- I was really a mother and I really had a newborn in my backseat.  And I had managed to figure out the carseat, drive across town and make it to Home Depo.  What an accomplishment! I breathed a sigh of relief in this new freedom.  I was on the start of a new phase and a new stage of becoming a stay at home mom.

In a couple of days, Katelyn will be starting kindergarten.  We are on to a new stage and a new phase.  I wish I wasn't so emotional about it.  Every August, I always enjoyed looking at facebook photos and seeing pictures of everyone else's kids starting kindergarten and I was always thankful it wasn't mine yet.  But, here we are it is our turn and so I am sure you will see her smiling face posted on facebook in a few days.  I know I will be sad because spending five years at home with my little girl went by so fast.  She has so much energy and she sure doesn't like to sleep or take naps, but I will miss having her home with us all day.  Yes, I will get her on holidays and vacations, but the first five uninterrupted years without a school calendar to follow are over.

So now, in a few days, instead of strapping her into her infant carrier car seat, I will help her buckle her seatbelt.  I will start the car and drive her 10 minutes to the parking lot at her new school.  I will park on the edge of the lot.  Then I will sit there for a moment.  Reality will sink in that I really have a kindergartener in my backseat.   Katelyn loves to learn and she loves being social and I know she will have an awesome time in kindergarten.  I will breath a sigh of sadness, excitement, and anticipation.  I am on the start of a new phase and a new stage of becoming a mother of a school age child.

Sophie and Celiac Disease - One Year Later

It was one year ago this week that our lives changed.  Sophie (27 months old) had a endoscopy done on her small intestines in order to see if she had celiac.  The doctor met us in the waiting room to inform us that she did indeed suffer from this disease.  There was no cure, but we could relieve her symptoms by taking gluten out of her diet.  The next day before we headed on our eight hour drive home, we met with a dietitian to discuss foods to avoid and helpful tips on grocery shopping.

Sophie fell asleep quickly on our drive home.  By the time we reached Gatesville (1 hour into our drive), Katelyn, Brandon and I were all hungry so I ordered three amazing juicy and greasy and gluten filled hamburgers from one of our favorite restaurants, "Ranchers."  As I ate my burger and fries in the car, tears filled my eyes because I realized this was the end of part of my life as I had known and loved.  Brandon and I enjoyed driving off the beaten path to find the best food around especially those dives featured on the Food Network.  We loved gluten.  We loved the taste of gluten.  However, we love our daughter more.

I felt it was so childish to "grieve" that my child was not going to ever experience or eat gluten from a "Mom and Pop" restaurant.  I'll never forget that burger.  I'll never forget my feelings.

Fast forward one year later, July 2015.....I have since got over my "grieving state," and we have forged onto a new normal.  Gluten free.  Gluten free fridge and pantry, gluten free cook books.  We threw away our old toaster filled with crumbs.  And now even when our daughters pretend cook in their play kitchen they serve each other "gluten free" food.  "Here is your gluten free cookie," one of my girls calls out to the other.

I will not say transitioning was super easy in the first month.  I still bought gluten poptarts, breads and cereals for the rest of the family.  I realized quickly how difficult it was to cook pancakes with gluten and then pancakes with no gluten at the same time.  I had to use different spatulas, different pans, different everything in order to not cross contaminate.  I washed my hands what felt like a million times.  All these things combined easily convinced me to do away with gluten and so our kitchen soon became mostly gluten free.  We occasionally buy gluten hamburger buns and hot dog buns because they are cheaper, but other than that we try to keep gluten out of our kitchen.

Thirteen months ago, there were foods that I would have never dreamed of eating, but now they are some of our favorites..... we eat sandwich meat and cheese rolled up with out bread.  We love corn tortillas (filling them with eggs, bbq chicken, or chicken with tomatillo salsa).  We love making our own tortillas.  We love spaghetti with our gluten free pasta (and I love blending carrots in with the either homemade or store bought sauce).  We eat lots of rice- rice with stirfry, rice with salmon, or rice with a mexican dish.  We love grilling veggies.  We love Rice Chex and have try all the varieties- chocolate, vanilla, plain, honey nut (and of course we skipped out on trying Wheat Chex).  And Sophie loves watermelon.  One year ago today, she did not want to try watermelon because her stomach was constantly hurting.  Today, she will eat an entire bowl full of the juicy red fruit. And of course we still eat all the non-gluten containing foods we ate before such as: bananas, strawberries, avacodos, zucchini, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, roast, burgers, steaks, etc. (We have to be careful with spices/sauces used on our meats).  We have become creative and inventive with dishes and we are not afraid to try new things.

We are a happy family eating gluten free.  We don't think twice about it.  It is our normal.  There will always be rough times like dealing with cross contamination or asking a million gluten free questions to the server at a restaurant or going to large gatherings where gluten is served (family functions, weddings, church gatherings, birthday parties).  Eating at home is always easiest, but we are learning as we go how to provide a filling, healthy and balanced meal for Sophie outside of our home.

I am thankful that one year later, Sophie is happy, healthy and has gained almost 10 pounds since her diagnosis.  I was sad a year ago when I learned that my daughter had celiac, but on this new journey we are having fun creating new recipes, trying new cookbooks, finding new restaurants with gluten free foods (like Red Robin), and making new friends also with celiac.  Sophie, now 3 years old, will only know a life of gluten free foods.  As her mother, I hope to make this gluten free journey a fun and healthy way of life.