Finding Joy
February 28, 2012
Butter Joy @ our fingertips!
It’s no secret that I think the key to a happy life is living full in each moment. We have lived full moments in all situations since Claire’s birth, good, bad, scary, sad. I absorb each feeling, wrap my heart around these fleeting spaces of time letting them soak into my being. The bad, sad, and scary force me to call on the name of my Savior. I let Him wash over me to get me through those dark times.
But what about when all is well?
When I am having happy times do I still call on my Christ in times of plenty? Yes, I do! We are having a seizure free season of life now (thank you Ketogenic diet) and I want to continue to live it full. One new adventure to help us experience all the Happy life has to offer, is try something new.
Sled Hockey!
(This is what I think Claire will look like,this is Megan. See the link for more)I find that when life is traveling along at the super high rate of speed it tends to go, I can easily get into the rut of everyday normal. It’s important to make small efforts to include more joy in life. The reward is a better quality of life and a better heart for living happy. We have first hand knowledge of how quickly life can go from good to bad. Epilepsy can do that to a life.
As I talk of finding joy to make our days better, a neighboring northeast Ohio community,much like my own, suffers the most horrific tragedy of a fatal school shooting…and their joy is being sucked right out of life. It makes this topic ever more important. Finding the joy in this moment because it may quickly be lost. Hold on tight to living full joy, break out of winter blues and everyday ruts. Keep God first, pray hard, and maybe we will find you on an ice rink, finding a new moment of happy, dressed in helmet, pads and on a sled chasing smiles around with a hockey stick.
As we begin a small new adventure of finding all the joy God has for us we say:
Goodbye everyday ruts…Hello Butter
A Ketogenic Snowy Ice Cream Treat
February 11, 2012
There are few treats that the Ketogenic diet allows. But today we tried something new…
Snow ice cream!
I found a few general ideas for making snow ice cream online then adapted it for Claire.
I decided to replace the milk or cream commonly used in this recipe with the KetoCal formula. Then, I measured 25gm of the KetoCal formula (powder form, mixed with water) and the girls set out to gather some fresh fallen snow. I think the key to achieve the best taste is having good CLEAN snow!
There wasn’t much to it,
1. Pour the milk:
2. Add snow
3. Keep mixing until it turns to ice cream
4. Smiles sprinkled on top 🙂
Snow ice cream was the perfect answer for a “keto kid” that hasn’t had a treat like this in ages. I would say it was a success. I also made a small batch with whole milk and sugar for everyone else, however they are used to the good stuff and were not as impressed with this.
I have to say I was impressed with the texture. It turned out better than previous times I’ve tried to make “special” ice cream for Claire. Normally, Claire has to eat or drink every drop of every morsel on her plate since it is measured so accurately to achieve the proper diet ratio. The nice thing about using the formula is that it already has the proper ratio. So, if she doesn’t finish it all, it’s ok, since it’s calculated correctly. It just means fewer calories than figured. Too confusing? Let’s just say this is an easy treat for me to prepare and let her go.
We had lots of fresh snow today, but it was too windy & cold to play in,so this was a good way to have fun without getting Claire too cold.
It is possible on a butter diet to say hello Snowy Treats while we also say…Hello Butter
PS~I apologize for the poor quality of pictures, I was using my cell phone. When I grow up I would love to have a beautiful photography blog,it’s just not today!
SUPERGIRL~CLAIRE
January 29, 2012
Miracles happen! Short but sweet video of our amazing supergirl!
“Unspeakable,unending,thanks be to God…”
Living Thanksgiving
November 23, 2011
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a time for reflecting on being grateful. Every year I list all I am thankful for praising God for His blessings in my life. Its a long list and a heartfelt prayer of thanksgiving.
I wonder…Is it enough? Is it enough to just say thank you and praise God? On the rainy days life is sure to bring, will just saying the words of gratitude, be enough to find the sun despite the falling rain?
This Thanksgiving I will continue with my list of blessings and praise God for all the gifts in my life. However, I will not be satisfied by this act alone. I am working on keeping the attitude of gratitude alive in my heart everyday.
I have hard days when the rain wins and the sun disappears.
I am convinced if my heart is full of grace, not by mere words, but attitude and actions of gratitude I will not only find sun in the midst of rainy days, I will feel Grace from the Son. Then His love will be enough.
Ann Voskamp is an author I had the pleasure of hearing speak last summer. She writes: ” Because Thanksgiving is more than a holiday-its the way to wake up to really,fully living” This idea to live fully and give thanks for all things is what I want to be planted deep into my heart.
Living Thanksgiving in every moment.
I am celebrating His Grace this Thanksgiving by action and attitude so then I can say, goodbye to hard rainy days &…Hello Butter
Read more about Claire’s current health @ http://http://www.carepages.com/carepages/babyclairespage/updates
Falling for fall
October 11, 2011
Fall love
We’ve been pretty busy saying a lot of hello to not only butter but also pecans, cheese, physical therapy, home school & football games. Claire has been doing so well that we have a busy life back.
She’s been able to go back to physical therapy once a week and she is getting stronger & stronger at standing. And while she is doing so well I still don’t feel she can handle preschool at this time. Instead, we have a teacher come to the house once a week. Plus, she has been enjoying watching her big brother play under the Friday night lights so I feel this satisfies her social life. And I do mean social. This is one area of her life that I have no worries. She loves to see everyone at the football games and works the crowd like no other four year old I’ve seen. She is full of smiles and personality and is the best cheerleader for her Michael. Go Michael Go! We are even able to pack her pecans, cheese and butter to go for the football game. Not your typical tailgate food, but she loves it!
Now since summer has ended I feel it is safe to announce the official news that the summer of 2011 has seizure free! This is the first summer since 2008 that Claire has not required to be life flighted. With all my heart I praise God for the miracles on our life!
So, although I am a few weeks late in saying this…goodbye Summer…hellobutter!
Stay the Course
May 27, 2011
- Stay the Course,God has You
I want to take a moment to praise God today for His faithfulness.
This diet is not only for Claire to have a better seizure free
life, but for our whole family to remember to focus on the important things in life.(by the way, it’s not food)
I can slowly spin out of balance, just like an overloaded washing machine. I talk a lot to God, so I know the familiar unbalanced sway and can correct it before completely spinning out of control. He has a gentle whisper that calms my heart. With out my daily quiet time with my Jesus, I can easily cave to the overloaded “washer” spin out of balance life.
So with all that being said, I am listening to the whispers. I can do this because God has this.
We can take this change and better our lives mostly because we are even more dependent on God to get us through all the highs and lows that a dieting family has to go through.
Is anyone else too overloaded? Is your spin cycle about to become unbalanced? Take a breath, stay the course, God has you.
Goodbye unbalanced…Hello Butter!
Hello Butter 