The Outspoken Mom Blog

Happy New Year!

Good Morning Everyone!

Oh it has been so long, so much to talk about!  I really need to figure out how to post by mobile because I have so many good blogs that go in and out of my mind through the day/week.

I still know what the blog topics were and what I was going to say but, the passion, the emotions behind the words are gone and it is hard for me to write a good blog without emotion.

I haven't written in a while but, looking at all of you still reading me daily (or those of you who read me weekly/monthly and catching up) wow, truly shows how many people I have following my blogs!  Thank you.

There is one blog in particular that comes up the most in searches for people and that by far has had the most people read it over any other blog I have posted.  The blog 'movie nights and family time' or something like that.  I can't remember the exact title but, it was one I wrote a long time ago.  Huh, isn't it funny that something I wrote about just about my family and an evening we spent together at home watching old Disney movies would become the most read blog?! 
I love how things work like that in writing. 

Lately I have been trying to get my blog more 'out there' in more readers.  I talked to Star Tribune about becoming one of there community guest bloggers and was email 'interviewed' but, that was almost 2 weeks ago so, I guess that means I didn't make the cut?  Maybe the Outspoken Mom was just a bit too outspoken for the Star Tribune.  Maybe next time I should try something a bit more conservative?  Not sure.

It is a bittersweet deal for me right now.  School is starting Wednesday for my 3rd and my other 2 start next Tuesday.  I am thrilled that they are starting school again so I can get back to my blogs but, sad because my baby(my baby of the older 3) is starting Kindergarten and she really is my mini-me and I love having her around.
It is those rowdy older two that need to get back into school!  lol. 

So as I sit here listening to my baby's music in her crib play and listen to my loud, just like his father, son jump and talk and run around downstairs I wonder, what will this year bring to the Schwab family?

How will the Schwab's change/grow this year?  I tend to think of a new school year like many people think of New Years.  New school years to me are 'new years'.  I don't think of my years from January to December, my years are from September to June.  What new things is my family going to experience, how will we all change, how will we look back on this year in the future?
As my children grow, I wonder how many teeth will get lost and grow back in this year, which new families/friends will come into our lives, will any friends from last year move to the side?  How will we impact the world around us and how will the world around us impact us.

Will my husband's company grow or shrink?  Will my waistline grow or shrink...lol, just kidding, had to throw that one in there :-)  But, seriously THIS time of year is my new year.  My calendars don't start in January, they all start in September and go through the next December.  With 4 children, that is how you plan...always about 3-4 months in advance.  Crazy. 

So as I plan on having my 3 older children at 3 different schools living 3 completely different lives Monday through Friday during the day, how will our family change?  How will my children change?  How will I keep 3 schedules from being messed up?! 

To me, a new school year brings all the new beginnings, the hopes, the wishes, the new starts.  This is the time for wondering what the 'new' year will bring.

I am not one to really make new year resolutions but, what are yours this new school year?  What are your hopes, dreams, prayers for you, your children and your family?  I pray for safety, I pray for peace in my heart, I pray for patience, forgiveness, love.  I pray for my son to finally find his 'best friend' in life.  I pray for my oldest daughter to continue to blossom in 'her' world, I pray for my 2nd daughter to continue to shine and be surrounded by good friends with tender hearts, I pray for my littlest Schwab to continue to grow and thrive and to be happy even without her big brother and sisters around all the time to entertain her.
For my husband, I pray for patience, I pray for good business, good partners, and good clients.  I pray he continues to love what he does and he finally is able to start enjoying all of the hard work he has been doing in growing his company for the past 2 years.

Hmm, for me.  I pray for patience, kindness, and a new-found, renewed faith in my Lord.  I pray for wisdom in raising my children, organization in my schedule and calendar and I pray for time.  I pray I will take time to stop and enjoy the moment, enjoy the ages of my children now, enjoy my friends, and enjoy my husband.  I pray for the NOW, not the past, not the future, the NOW.

What will you being praying for this year?

Blessings to you all!

-Liza

A quick take on a Tabloid Headline

Good Evening Everyone!

Just got back in town from a great weekend at the cabin.  Our family, especially my hubby SO needed the break from reality!

So, tonight is going to be a quick blog as I am super tired and wow, I have a really, really busy week ahead of me!

I have decided I have another reason not to get fake boobs.  Yes, really didn't need a reason before because frankly, until they can take the fat from my 'rear end' and put it in my boobs....well, you get the picture.

So, I now have another reason to not get boobs.  I never want to have to be identified by the serial number on my breast implants.  It is sad but true, there was a woman murdered that supposedly was famous by her even more famous reality TV star hubby.  He had cut off her fingers and pulled out all of her teeth so, they used the serial numbers on her breast implants to ID her body.

Ugh.

First of all, I couldn't imagine dying at the hands of my husband let alone what my family would feel like if they could only ID me by my fake boobs.

Life in the fallen world...ick.

Please pray for that woman's family and that they won't remember her only by how they ID'd her body but, for who she was as a person not how she looked or who she married or how she was murdered.

I am off to bed.  Blessings to you all!

-Liza

Stress. How do you handle it?

Good Morning Everyone!

Well, wow today is Friday.  It is another dark and gloomy and rainy day and I am praying my basement stays dry today however, does it really matter since the floor is already torn up from a couple days ago?

Talk about stress!  Or me trying to get organized for the big garage sale on Thursday knowing we are heading up to our cabin sometime this weekend so, I will only have 2 days to finish preparing and cleaning out the house for it!  Not to mention labeling and pricing and sorting everything!  By the way, I am not joking when I say this, I have enough clothes to start my own consignment shop.  It is sick.

Or my husband, going through a bunch of junk at work right now that has really nothing to do with him or his company and the stress he is going through.

Stress, we all have it, we all deal with it.  It is HOW you deal with it that makes the difference I believe.  I think the biggest thing when it comes to stress is do you let it fester inside of you or do you deal with the stressful situation and move on.  I guess there is  another way, you can completely ignore the stress but, it will come back and bite you in the rear eventually.

I am the type of person that most things just roll off my back and out of sight.  Really, I don't get too stressed out very often.  I just figure the next day will be better and somehow, everything will work out in the end.  If not, oh well, I tried and there really wasn't anything I could do about it.

I have seen how stress works in different people.  I have watched my mother over the years become a harsh, cynical person without much joy in her life.  She is skeptical of pure joy and love.  She stresses out about a lot of things and very rarely now truly laughs or relaxes.  I have seen first hand her personality change over the years and how when you hold on to stress how it truly can change your outlook on life.

I have also seen my dad with stress.  He truly doesn't get stressed out.  He is living life, happy, still smiles and laughs a lot and is happy as a clam for the most part.  Yes, things stress him out sometimes but, he doesn't hold on to that stress, he lets it go and moves on with life.

Here is where I see the major differences in my parents.  On one hand, my mother is college educated, married a college educated man.  They live an upper middle class lifestyle, drive nice (but not too nice) of cars.  They live in a beautiful home that is quite good sized for 2 people(my family could live in it very comfortably!) and my mother is a 3rd Grade teacher and my father(step-father) is in sales.  They are for the most part able to do what they would like, although, that is not how my mother would put it. 

You can't say hi to my mother without hearing the words, "this economy", "we don't have enough money", "I wish I could travel more", "I wish I could add on to my house".  More, more, more but, never happy.  Her stress level is extremely high thinking about how she has been wronged over the years and how it all started way back when with her having to help raise 5 brothers.  What?!  Yes, seriously she has held on to the stress for that many years.

My mother is healthy, she is young, she is only 59 and her husband is happy and healthy and young, 61.  Together they have 6 grandchildren and truly should be in the prime of their lives as far as enjoyment and less stress.  I think the stress level has actually risen over the past 5-10 years than relaxed.  Why?

Now my 'real' dad.  He is a college dropout, is a true blue collar worker.  He has been married(and divorced) 3 times and is currently in a relationship with a woman he has been with for over 10 years.  He is truly happy even though he doesn't have a lot to give financially.  He is 63, lives on a farm in Southern Minnesota.  He doesn't own the farm, he helps out the owner and drives a school bus.  He is great with our children and is up for just about anything.  Lack of money doesn't or hasn't really stopped him from traveling(may not be Europe or 5 Star hotels but still travels), he really has been able to do most things he likes.  Relationships mean more to him than money.  He is in contact with and still talks to most of his family members on down to probably 3rd and 4th cousins.  He has a lot of friends and if you ask him how life is, he will laugh a bit and say, "Ya know, pretty good."

On paper, my mom should be the happy one, life hasn't been overly difficult(on paper) in well over 20 years and she is miserable.  On paper my 'real' dad should be the unhappy one, life has really been overwhelming yet, he is happy as a clam.

This is a direct function I believe, on how you handle and deal with stress.  If you compartmentalize it and can deal with it, you are the happy one in the later years of life and during life.  If you let it fester and can't let it go, you are the angry and unhappy one.

I am probably somewhere in the middle.  I suppose somethings I should probably stress out about more and other things less.  We don't have a lot and while it would be nice I am pretty happy with my life.

So what if I don't get to live in a big house(maybe someday...maybe not), so what if I don't ever get to put that big addition on my house, who cares is my 'fancy' car is 11 years old, it is still pretty darn fancy and I really like it a lot!  Who cares if I can't keep up with the Jones' in life?  Hey, I live in Richfield...we ARE the Jones'.

In my 'real' dad's eyes, Steve and I are pretty well off, in my mothers eyes, well.....

I don't know if most people would call this a blessing or not but, I believe I was truly blessed with the parents I got in life.  Yes, it hasn't always seemed like a blessing with those 3 but, I have learned that stressing over stress just isn't worth it.  Most things you have no control over (like who your parents are) but, it is how YOU deal with what you are given in life.

Life will always be 'unfair'.  Someone will always have more, someone will always have less.  Very often you will feel alone in your stress and that sucks but, you are the only person who can change you.  You can't change the world, you can't change your parents(although if you are like me, you certainly can try), you can't change your family but, you can change YOU.

We live in a fallen world.  We live in an imperfect world.  This isn't the 'good life'.  The good life is after this world!  So, relax, don't let this fallen world get you down.  This is like your stress test.  How do you come out of it in the end?

Blessings to you all!

-Liza

Bleeding Purple and Gold

Good Morning Everyone!

Oh, it is my last home game for soccer tonight and the forecast is rain.  So bummed.  My girlfriend Lee plays with me and we were going to have our family and maybe some friends come out and watch our game tonight.  I am really hoping the rain either ends before 6pm tonight or doesn't start until around 830pm.

So weather people in Minnesota, do you hear me?!  lol.

I know this is probably being talked about on blogs all over the place and I try to not write blogs similar to other people but, today....it is a must!  Brett Favre is a Viking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, I was out with my children yesterday when my husband called me and told me to guess who was on a plane right now on their way to Minnesota.  I didn't know what that meant or who it could be so I asked him if it was someone we knew or someone famous.  Then he said someone famous and I was stumped.  I honestly couldn't think of someone famous coming here on a plane that my husband would know about and that he would actually care enough to call me about.  I sheepishly said Kenny Loggins because I am seeing him in concert in a couple weeks. 

He said no and then told me it was someone from Mississippi...I instantly squealed in delight and said, "Brett Favre!"  I couldn't believe it!  I was so happy and couldn't stop giggling and squealing!  My children couldn't figure out what was going on until I screamed, "Brett Favre is going to be our Quarterback for the Vikings!"
My 5 year old daughter instantly said, "The Vikings! The football team?!  Can I go to a game and see Burt Far?"  I said, "of course!"

So, for most of the rest of the day yesterday, I listened to KFAN on the radio, giggled, screamed, jumped up and down, and just couldn't believe my ears.  I squealed again as I watched the 'Breaking News' on TV of his plane landing and seeing Brett and his wife and Brad Childress shaking hands on the runway and heading off in Brad's Black Escalade to Winter Park.

It all seems so surreal to me and yet, it is real, it is real! I danced, and giggled as I listened to the Vikings announcer on KFAN call and apologize to all the sportscasters he didn't believe when they said Favre was coming here and laughed outloud when he called and taunted other teams.  It was so exciting and fun to hear a grown man super excited and singing on the radio to the Will Smith song, "Going to Miami".  Or "Physical" by Olivia Newton John, or the other songs that he played during his show.

For the first time in my long and broken-hearted but, faithful following of the Vikings, I am more than excited and more than hopeful.  For the first time in MY lifetime of following the Vikings, we have a very good team, and a very good Quarterback, running back, and receivers and our defense is amazing too.  My only fear is the Williams boys....I sincerely hope they don't get a judge that is a Packer fan and suspends them...hey, the rivalry is THAT big up here!

I don't know if Favre can stay healthy, he is 39 afterall but, oh gosh, this is the best shot we have had since 1998 to get a chance at the Superbowl.  I have always said that if the Vikings ever made it to the Superbowl, I don't care what I would have to do to get there, I would find a way to get to the Superbowl.  In 1998, I was prepared to sell my car..yep, crazy I know but, it is the Vikings afterall!!!

So, I have already prepped my husband and told him that I expect we will be heading to Miami if my boys make it to the Superbowl.  He just smiled and unfortunately, I think he secretly hopes they don't because he knows, I am completely serious about going.  I have also told him if ever there was a time for him to win the Powerball or whatever else dumb lottery he plays this would be the time.  I would LOVE to see the Packer/Vikings game here at the Dome AND in dream world, I think it would be AWESOME to see the Packer/Viking game in Green Bay!  Oh to see Brett come out of the tunnel at Lambeau Field in PURPLE and gold instead of green and gold.....ohhhhhhh.

So, yesterday, was one of my favorite days and it was a day I really thought would never come.  I can't believe that we have Favre.  Now, here comes my compassionate side.  I feel so bad for Sage and T.Jack.  Especially for Sage because he was really looking like the front-runner for the QB position but, at the same time, I think those guys should be super excited because they will be understudying and learning from the best in the business. 

So, to finish out my blog today, I sing loud and proud....

"Skol Vikings, lets win this game, Skol Vikings honor your name, go get a first down then get a touchdown..rock em sock em..fight, fight, fight, fight.  Skol Vikings run out the score, you'll hear us yell for more... V-I-K-I-N-G-S  Skol Vikings let go!!"

Blessings to you all!

-Liza

Happy Monday

Good Morning Everyone!

I am not sure how much time I have to write but, there is some time so, I thought I would take advantage of it. 

Wow, Monday again.  Is it bad that I actually look forward to Mondays?  Actually, it is a mix of emotions.  I miss having my husband around all the time like he is on the weekends but, weekends are usually a let down for me.  See, I am always working through what I think should be happening on weekends and usually what is in my head doesn't happen.  Could be because I very often forget to vocalize what I would like to happen but, after almost 8 years of marriage shouldn't my husband be able to read my mind?!!!
Really, when does the mind-reading start?! 

I can read his mind why can't he read mine?  Oh yes, I am a very good mind reader when it comes to my hubby.  When I am talking to him, I know he is thinking, "I know she is saying, 'Look at my boobs, look at my boobs, look at my boobs'."   When I say I am tired, I know he is thinking, "Oh, that is my cue, she wants to have sex." 

Just kidding, all laughs aside, I really can read my hubby pretty well, I am not sure if it is me or him or the two of us together but, it is very apparent when things are good/bad at work, when he has had a cigarette or not, when he is hiding something, and when he has a project on his mind.

So, I do really like having Steve around but, I really like Mondays because it feels like life is back to 'normal'.  I know the hours of stores, I know schedules, I know which friends are available when, and I feel a big sigh of relief.  Maybe it could also have to do with me having a nanny Monday mornings (except this one) and date night Monday night?

Whatever it is, I am starting to like Mondays.  Yes, I said it, 'like Mondays'.  I guess that might be a true sign of a stay at home mom, huh?

So as my week and yours gets started, many Blessings to you all!

-Liza

Are you a 'yes' parent or a 'no' parent?

Good Evening Everyone!

I have realized that summer is just so unpredictable as to schedules so, I am very sorry how sporadic I have been writing the past couple months.  Hopefully when school gets back in session things will calm down a bit and I will be able to write more regularly.

Is anyone else so ready to have their children start school again?! I feel like I should feel guilty about wishing the summer and time away but, wow, my house is closing in on me and frankly, my children are bugging me!  I love them dearly and I don't like wishing time away but, I really need to get back to a schedule.

My brain works so much better on a schedule.  I love being told when and where I have to be and seeing my life written down on a calendar and knowing what to expect for the most part.  That is the part of work I really miss, deadlines, schedules, planned events, etc.  I miss being told I need to have a project done by a certain time and knowing if I don't get it done I can get fired. 

I can't get fired from being a stay at home mom or from cleaning the house so, it is very difficult for me to get motivated to clean, pick up, come up with activities for the children anything sometimes.  I am not motivated by money, frankly, not really sure what motivates me...lol.

I know I am not good at being the decision maker!  I don't like being the one to enforce the rules, make the rules, and follow the rules!  I don't like being the 'mean mom' because I make the children do chores and homework.  But, it is all a part of being mom I guess.  I know the dads have to go out and slay the dragon but, sometimes, it is frustrating that they get to be 'fun dad' and I am 'mean mom'. 

I want to be 'fun mom' but, I have responsibilities!  I do let my hair down sometimes but, I do notice that my first reaction to EVERY thing is 'no'.  Why?  Why is the first thing to come out of my mouth or into my head is the word 'no'?  I am trying to work on that because my children are catching on.

They don't even ask me about some things anymore because they know I am going to say no automatically so, they go to 'fun dad'.  And of course, 'fun dad' says 'yes' to almost everything asked of him by the children. 

I guess that is why there are 2 parents?!  I also know that is why parents should never get divorced.  Ugh, the confusion and frustration of one parent always saying yes and the other always saying no. 

I am constantly fighting myself to stop saying 'no' and start saying 'yes' more often.  No should not be my first reaction to things.  Often times I find myself saying 'no' when really, I mean to say 'yes'.  Frustration!

So, that is part of me I am working on for this coming school year with the children.  I am trying to be more of a yes man than a no man(or woman).  I don't want my children to stop coming to me for things now because then I won't have their trust and them coming to me when they really need me in jr. high and/or high school. 

I don't want to lose that special part of being a parent, having your children come to you when they need some advice, some help, or just want to talk.  My children are so important to me and mean too much to me for me to push them away by always saying no.

So, here is my challenge, how often do you say 'no' without even thinking?   Are you a 'yes' person or a 'no' person?  Start saying 'yes' a little bit more.  You don't have to say yes to every thing but, you also don't have to say no.  My sister in law is a family pastor and she rarely if ever says a flat out 'no' to her children.  If they ask if they can go to Valleyfair but, they are too busy that day she will say something like, "Yes, you can go to Valleyfair on Friday."  Or if they ask for a cookie right before dinner she will say something like, "Yes you can have a cookie after dinner."

She isn't saying no to them, however, she isn't the pushover 'yes' person either. 

I pray that I am able to learn from others and to not be the 'no' mom anymore.  I pray that I can change my thoughts, change my mind and become a more positive mother for my children.

I need to head off to bed, momma tired!  Blessings to you all,

-Liza

Friendships, life and Faith.

Good Morning Everyone!

I am veering off my Food Allergies blogs for a moment.  I decided today to talk about something so important...friends.

Last night I was very blessed to be able to hang out on a boat with some other moms for an evening.  It was wonderful, on so many levels.
Just being out on the lake on a warm summer night, no children, no husbands, just 5 friends sharing stories and time together.

I think so often in the rush of life, we forget how important it is to connect with friends, especially true for us moms.  I was always the girl that hung out with the boys, they were easier for me to be friends with.  I never really had a group of 'girl friends' that I just did stuff with and giggled with and walked through life.

Ohhh, a little interruption here...my beautiful little girls just walked past my office.  They were dressed up in their finest dress up clothes, shoes and jewelry.  One had her pink backpack on and the other had her cowgirl hat and a pink bag with her, it was a firestorm of pink that was standing before me!  They waved to me, blew me kisses and said, "Goodbye Momma, we are going on an airplane."  I looked at them, blew them kisses and told them, "Adios".  Then, as they walked down the hallway, I heard one say to the other one, "Should we go to Colorado?" 
Oh, my heart is over-flowing with love right now:-)

Ok, back to the blog....

I guess I have always missed the meaning of girl friends until the past few years.  Really, I have missed the true value of friendship overall for years.  Slowly, women are pulling me out of my comfort zone and pulling me into friendships and relationships that I could have never expected or even known how much I needed.

The stories that were shared, the things we all learned about one another in 6 short hours was nothing but a miracle set before us by God I am sure. 

See, what I haven't shared with anyone is lately, my faith has been wavering.  Not because of any tragedies or really for any particular reason but, for over the past couple of years, my faith has slowly been slipping away it seems.  Actually, let me rephrase that, my faith in God is strong, I believe in God, I believe Jesus Christ is my Savior but...lately, my prayers have seemed empty, almost forced.  My faith has seemed forced or like I am just saying what I think needs to be said, or praying what I think needs to be prayed with no heart, no love behind those prayers.

With all of my children in public schools, weekends this summer at the cabin and no church, things are just sort of slipping away for me with my faith.

I truly believe God put last night into my hands and said, "Go."  I believe God put the conversations that we had on the boat there, I believe he was on that boat with us the entire time, guiding conversations, thoughts, and friendships.  I can't even explain how our conversations went, how they spun from one amazing story to another, how God was a constant in our thoughts and words last night.  It truly was the night I needed to bring me out of, for lack of better words, my faith slump.

I think it is very easy to get comfortable with the friends you hang out with all the time.  I think especially for me, it is easy for me to just be with one group because I am not very organized with my time and I am not very comfortable or good at having a lot of friends.  I am much more comfortable(only because it is easier) to have only a few friends.  But, that is not how God designed me or anyone else.  We are to be in a community with others.  We are to walk with others, talk with others, and get out of our comfort zones. 

God never promised us comfort, peace, or security.  We live in a fallen world, nothing is promised. 

If I am to be the woman, the mother, the wife God intended me to be, I need to walk outside of myself and put myself out there, be friends with God's people and be strong in my faith.  I need to be a leader for my family, I need to put my own fears aside and my own weaknesses and stand up and teach my children about God, his love, and his world.  I need to devote myself not only to my family but, to my faith, to my friends, and most importantly, to my God.

No longer can I use excuses about not knowing the Bible or its verses, I need to start memorizing scripture, and living in the word.  I need to read my Bible daily, read it to my children daily and study it, not just read it but, really study it. 

God put me on this Earth for a reason, I don't really know what it is yet but, I will never find out why he put me here if I am always so focused on 'me' instead of Him.

Last night my heart was filled with laughter, love, and God.  Last night I hung out with amazing faith filled women and strong faith filled women.  I learned that all of us struggle with things in our lives.  We all have children, we all struggle with family, health, children, husbands, life.  We all struggle with schooling our children, doing what is right for our children, we all share the same struggles!
The struggles might look different like a hook in the eye compared to a pale white child in a diaper.  But, they are the same struggles and they all bring us back around to each other and to God.

I can't imagine how I lived a life without God for 28 years.  I can't imagine how anyone lives life without God.  I remember how lonely it was and how many lies were believed as truths.

Last night one of my friends hit it straight on.  She was struggling with something with one of her children and in a moment she questioned things, she heard things in her head that she knew were lies, were not of God and she threw them away, threw those thoughts out of her head and 'crash', the words crashed away and her thoughts were clear again to the truth of God.  It was powerful and meaningful and amazing to hear.

As mothers, we often are too busy changing diapers, running children around, picking up the house(not me but, other moms), making meals, and just living everyone else's life but our own.  I strongly believe Satan loves it when we are like that.  He loves it when our lives are hectic, our families are apart, our meals are rushed.  He loves it when our prayers are short, our tempers even shorter, and our days and schedules are long.

I am filled with one excuse after another as to why I don't do things outside of the home, why I don't have the friends I need, why I don't study the Bible like I should, why I don't do Devotions, why I don't have time to do women's Bible study's, or why my children don't have the knowledge and the love for God they should.

It is time to put those excuses away.  Those are the words and thoughts of Satan, not God.  God did not intend for me to be lonely, he did not intend for me to be a stay at home mom that never leaves the house.  He did not intend for me to only have 1 or 2 girl friends I can call at the drop of the hat and talk to.  No.

God designed me to flourish in the company of other God filled women/mothers, he designed me to teach.  He designed me to teach my children not only academics but, also of his patience, his love, and his word.  Why can't I learn along with my children? 

Listen, I know I will never be Martha Stewart, I may always be a bit 'spacey' and disorganized in the home but, I don't have to be that way in my faith and my friendships.

Today, I am stepping out, I am taking back my faith, taking back my love for God and taking back my children and my family and my friends from the lies that Satan fills our heads with.

Thank you dear friends for last night, thank you so much for showing me what a true faith filled life really looks like.  It isn't perfect, it isn't always great and bad things still happen but, when you have the word of the Lord guiding you, it just makes it seems that much easier and that much less lonely to walk through.

I challenge all of you to walk out of your comfort zones, to find those people that fill your life, that fill your spirit.  I challenge you to reconnect.  Find friends you can walk through life with, you can sit on a boat with for 6 hours and never run out of things to say.

Please pray for me and my faith journey as well as my friendships new and old and not yet formed.  Pray for wisdom only God can give me in raising my children and loving my husband.  Just plain pray!

Blessings to you all!!

-Liza

Living with food allergies Part One

Good Morning Everyone!

Wow, what a rainy Friday here for us in Minnesota but, summer is finally going to make its come back as we are supposed to be back in the 90's by tomorrow.  It has been a cold summer for us.  Today my cousin is also getting married and I am thrilled for her.  The weather is supposed to clear by the afternoon but, it is already past 10 and the radar is a big ole mess of rain.

Boy, not writing for a couple of weeks has left me with a mind full of ideas and not really sure where to begin.  Ok, here is one...

As many of you know our family is wheat free/gluten free and dairy free/casein free.  I am also the lucky one who has to be sugar free too.  Makes life a little more interesting and a lot more expensive but, worth it.  My husband and I have both noticed something after I quit nursing a month ago how when we eat regular bread or pasta, we feel horrible.  We are dragging, we are tired and often irritable.  We are starting to believe that wheat is something too heavily processed to be good for people.

My husband says it is usually when he has a sandwich or pasta or something that he craves caffeine because he is so wiped out.  I think our society is on the caffeine cycle because of many of the horrible food choices we make.

So, this blog and the next few are all about challenging yourself, trying to change how you eat, and see if you notice a difference in your energy level and how you feel overall.  In our family, we went dairy free/wheat free because our children had sensitivities to them.  Now, only one of our children's allergy tests actually shows her being allergic to wheat however, ALL of our children exhibit symptoms when we put them back on wheat and dairy.

For example, our son is on the Autism Spectrum, he as a baby had horrible gas, screamed and cried and writhed in pain every night.  The doctor told us he was 'colicky' and to put him on gas drops or Zanax.  We decided to try everything else first before we put drugs into that little body.  Since I was nursing, I had to cut things out of my diet.  So, I started with milk and dairy, things got much better and his crying was only occasionally.  So, I figured there was something else I was missing.  So, I kept track of what I ate and how he behaved after wards and discovered for him, he couldn't handle me eating onions, garlic, and any dark green(usually full of iron) vegetable.  So, no broccoli, spinach, and even cauliflower was tough for him, no green beans, and nothing too naturally 'gassy'. 

It worked!  Our son was instantly happy and no longer had 'colic' (which by the way, I don't believe in.) and started sleeping through the night and became a happy little guy.  So, we knew when we had to introduce cereal and formula, it needed to be soy. 

For our 2nd child her issues were constant colds.  She always had a runny nose that eventually turned into a sinus infection.  She was getting, or so we thought, pink eye all the time and was getting a lot of ear infections because of her sinus issues.   The doctor again said she was just 'catching a lot of colds' from her big brother, who by the way wasn't nearly as sick anymore.  Finally when she was almost 2, we brought her to a chiropractor and he said, pull her off milk and all dairy, just see what it does.  So, we did.  It was easy because her brother already was dairy free and I was nursing again(our 3rd) so, I was dairy free too.  Instantly her runny noses cleared up, she never had a sinus infection again and her eyes never goo'd over again.  We found out later that, all of those antibiotics we were putting in her eyes that made her scream because they burned, were useless because she didn't have pink eye, her sinuses were so backed up that they were coming out her eye ducts!  Poor thing!

Then, baby number 3.  She was our tiny baby, left the hospital at under 6 pounds and was so small we thought she might actually break.  As a reference, our older 2 we 8lbs 11 oz and 8lbs 9oz.  So, she was a bit more fragile to begin with.  She again was nursed just like the other two.  She was growing in the beginning but, she was still pretty small.  In fact, she still wore size 1 shoes when she was 7 months old, that is how small she was!  My other two children NEVER fit into anything smaller than a size 3.  She had teeny legs, teeny arms and a gigantic belly.  I still wasn't eating any dairy, I didn't eat onions or garlic or green veggies.  But, she was very little still.

She was growing but, slowly.  The doctors weren't concerned they just said we had a little baby.  Well, the big belly had me concerned so, I told the doctors I think she might have Celiac Disease.  They didn't think so but, tested her anyway, well tried too, she was so small, they couldn't get any veins to get blood out of!  Finally when she was about 1 they tested her and tested her 3 times for Celiac, nothing.  She didn't have it.  I knew something was still wrong, she was happy, she was meeting her milestones but, was still little and had such skinny arms and legs and such a big belly. 

Finally, I told them to have her allergies tested to see if we were missing any foods.  Finally!  We had our answer, she didn't have Celiac but, she was allergic to wheat.  She was malnourished because of her wheat allergy!  So, we quickly pulled her off of wheat and within in 36 hours, her belly was completely flat and within in a couple months, her arms and legs started to thicken up a bit and she was starting to gain weight at a faster pace than before.

So, when it came to our 4th child, we thought we were pros.  All of us were dairy free and mostly wheat free too.  I had been eating dairy and wheat during my pregnancy to 'nourish' the baby.  She came out like the other two, big 8lbs 10 oz and was very healthy.  But, by the time we were released from the hospital, she wasn't peeing, her belly was huge, and by the time she was 1 week old, she would scream and cry after eating and then throw up EVERYTHING that was in her stomach and be fine.  I cut out dairy instantly.  She was diagnosed with 'colic' again...again, I knew it had to be something else.  By the time she was 5 weeks old, she was throwing up every meal, screaming for about 20 minutes before finally throwing up and had blood in her stool.

After seeing a gastro. doctor (sorry, spell check couldn't help me with real spelling), we pulled not only wheat but, all casein and gluten out of my diet too.  By the time we went to Colorado, our 'colic' baby was happy and content and had no blood in her stools anymore and never spit up again, never.

So, as you can see, even though I have no formal education on nutrition, I feel like I have a lot of experience and training in nutrition.

So over the next few blogs, I hope to give you all some 'education' on food allergies, what to look for and how I really don't believe in colic and such.  I am starting to also believe those stars that eat macro-biotic diets and such are not so crazy. 

I have a dear friend who's parents haven't eaten cooked veggies, flour, wheat, or anything else processed in YEARS, and I thought they were crazy when I first heard about their diet (now lifestyle) 15 years ago, now I believe they were ahead of the game and really knew what they were doing.

We often tell our children that if God didn't make it, it is junk food.  It is very difficult for us as parents to not eat processed foods and to feed them to our children, hey, we do it and we like all American's love our fast food.  But, you can make better, healthier choices for yourself and your children.

I will try and help you along the way.  I need to go as the baby is up from her nap and I am losing focus and her patience quickly!

Blessings to you all!

-Liza

Recipe of the Week 3 Salad.

Good Afternoon Everyone! 

I hope I still have some readers left after my tirade yesterday:-)

Quick and easy recipe for you all today.

Dinner Salad...great for entertaining or just surprising your family with something other than the ready to make bagged salads!  Good news is too, this salad works with everything from romaine to spring greens to butter lettuce.

Here is the list of ingredients you will need, you can decide how little or how much of each depending on your size family or group.

Romaine lettuce
pine nuts or sunflower seeds(out of shell)
dried cranberries or similar (in winter) and fresh raspberries or strawberries (in season)
crumbled cheese(feta, bleu or similar)
Brianna's strawberry dressing (in most supermarkets) if can't find Brianna's dressings, look for the new dressings in the salad aisle that are refrigerated in either Strawberry Chardonnay or Strawberry Walnut or try a raspberry vinaigrette

Mix it all together and serve.  This makes a great salad and very quick and easy.  I always keep some sort of crumbled cheese on hand in case I need a quick salad(by the way...discovered crumbled feta cheese on a steak is FANTASTIC!!) I also always have some sort of dried fruit and pine nuts or sunflowers seeds on hand.

Experiment with ingredients and you will find yourself and your salad the hit of the dinner party.

Thanks to my good friend Heather for telling me you need something a bit sweet, the cheese cuts the sweetness and the fruit cuts the strong cheese and you always need something crunchy in the salad other than croutons.  I agree.

Hope you all like that and good luck...if you find any interesting combinations or really good other salad dressings, please let me know!  I always love to hear new and easy ways to spice up old favorites.

Blessings to you all and happy eating!

-Liza

I am back with controversy.

Good Morning Everyone!

Oh it feels so good to be back!  I have been so busy this week trying to get back to 'normal' although, if you saw my house, it is anything but.  I still can't unpack my suitcase because I am still trying to get all of the children's rooms situated.  It has been a long process and if those children of mine ever complain about their rooms again, they can move their beds, dressers, desks, and all of their clothes by themselves!

Phew!  Momma is worked up!  There is a lot of pent up writing and conversations in me so, the next week or so might be a bit interesting to say the least.  But, I do have a lot of really good ideas for blogs so, hopefully my family and schedule will cooperate and I will be able to get them into a blog.

I am starting today with controversy.   Oh you know you all missed my controversial blogs!  So, I am logging on to my computer today and get the normal headlines from Yahoo.  I see one that stands out to me and instantly ignites something inside of me.  I am torn however, I am angry too. 

Abortion, yep, here it comes again.  So I read that our new Government run health care system will pay for abortions.  Neat.  So pretty much you are telling me that I am paying for abortions.  You are telling me that the pro-lifers have NO choice and are now going to be paying for women to have abortions.  Wow.  Now, as many of you know, I am not pro-life...nor am I really pro-choice.  I believe abortions should be legal only for the sake of women are going to have them anyway and they should be safe.  However, I don't really buy the pro-life deal either because frankly, I think many of them are unrealistic and sheltered...there I said it.

I believe there should be another group...a pro-choice/but praying for life and walking along the women no matter what group.  That is where I am.  I believe until we walk with these women, truly help them through then entire journey of being pregnant, having the baby and either keeping the baby or adopting the baby, we can truly have no say in what they do.

However, I can have a say in what I pay for and frankly, I don't want to pay for women to have abortions, by choice.  Right now the law stands that anyone on government insurance can only have an abortion paid for by insurance if they were raped, in cases of incest, or the mothers life is in danger.  I believe it should stay the same for the new government plan.

Our government right now is the most anti-life government we have ever had and frankly, it scares me.  By the way, I still am not buying our President is a Christian.  Yep, said it and I stand by it.

By the way, on that note, of the 'anti-life' government...I was listening to a talk radio show 2 weeks ago that was talking and had pages and pages of quotes from some guy...I never heard the name (I turned it on in the middle) but, is very close friends with our President and has written a book and gives speeches saying things like, 'women in the United States, should be forced to be sterilized after having 2 children.'

Ok, no...I would never agree to that.  Also, that in some parts of the country, where birth rates are extremely high and poverty is high, we should put drugs in the drinking water to cause sterility to keep birth rates in check.  WHAT?!  Just hearing things like that makes me think we are living in Communist Russia or that The Nazi's are trying to make a comeback.

Yes, my thoughts on this might be a bit extreme but, last time I checked..although, I haven't checked lately so, it might have changed, we still live in a FREE nation.  We are free to make choices and to not be ruled by our government.  Our government was created to 'govern' over us but, to not rule us.

I will not pay higher taxes to pay for women to have abortions.  I will not pay higher taxes to cover people for insurance that choose not to work or choose to not take care of themselves.

I do not want to pay higher taxes for someone to take the ambulance 300 times in one year to the emergency room....yes, there is someone who did that in 2008.

My family and I are currently on MinnesotaCare..it is our state run medical and dental insurance.  I think the state of Minnesota does a pretty good job of taking care of ITS people and doesn't need the federal government to step in and ruin it all.  Now, come this November our family will be going back to our own private insurance carrier and we are more than ok with paying our premiums and paying our co-pays that WE choose for an insurance company and coverage that WE choose.

By the way, we still do pay premiums and co-pays on our MNCare and yes our taxes go to that program however, it is a program you still have to pay for you just don't pay as much.  If Minnesota can figure it out, why can't the rest of the states?

Why does our health care have to be federal?  Why can't it be on a state by state basis?  Don't our states know more than our federal government ever could about what their people really need and desire?

Please stand up for us local and statewide government officials!  I know we are a Democratic state but, when did being a Democrat become more about a Socialist nation than a free nation?

I have to end there and I am so bummed out..baby just woke up and my other children are wanting lunch.

Blessings to you all and I warned you, I am a bit wound up from being away from the computer for so long!

-Liza

PS:  We are on MNCare because my husband was unemployed for 3 1/2 years....now that he has employment(self-employed) we will be purchasing our own insurance...it will be expensive but, worth every penny for our freedom of choice.