Slightly Obsessed

1. First, please continue to keep Jordan, Kari, and Peyton Clark in your prayers.  (The Clarks are friends of Andy and Kelli and the Peases).  On Sunday, Drew went home to be with Jesus.  You can click on the link above to read more about their story.  After reading the post Kari wrote telling of Drew’s passing, I think it’s safe to say they are crying and praying With Hope.  Really, please keep them in your prayers.

2.  It’s been an off week for Ben.  And mommy.  We are embarking on a new “phase” of the diet.  I’m a mom on a mission and we want to get his body all healed up.  You just try to stop me. 

3. I’m getting my rear end whooped at Fantasy Football.  Enough said.

4. Is it winter yet?

3.

So I’m a little late on Monday Madness.  This will have to suffice.

1. We’re just getting over another round of colds.  Benjamin seems to have fared the best, with just a little bit of congestion.  Of course, I can’t help but think that he fights it off because he’s eating healthier than the rest of us.

2. Another urgent prayer request to pass along: Jordan and Kari Clark are family friends of Kelli and Andy.  Their little guy, Drew, is very sick with what they think is a mitochondrial disease and has been given only days to live.  Please lift this family up in prayer as they are facing some of the most difficult days ahead.  Of course, Jesus is still the Great Physician and he can still work miracles!

3. It’s starting to cool off here.  Cooling off in Phoenix means it’s only around 100 degrees.  Skippidy do!

4. My cousin, Jason, is getting married in Montana today.  I am super bummed that we aren’t there to celebrate with them.  So, congrats to Jason and Melissa!

5. Kelli needs to come visit us.  Carry-on luggage should contain the rest of her family.

It’s been 7 years since the 9/11 attacks and I’m just curious if y’all remember what you were doing when it happened.

I was on my way to work at Gart Sports in Colorado Springs.  I had the radio on and just caught the end of the initial report that a plane had hit a building in NYC.  I thought maybe it was a joke, but when I got to work, we all gathered around the tv in the golf department and watched as the second plane hit…and then the towers collapsed.  I remember calling Jarid and my mom, as the seriousness of it set it.  That was 11 days before our wedding.

Last year on this day, Jarid was working at Canyon State Academy with high schoolers.  He said that some of them didn’t even remember the events of that day.  They were 7-11 years old.  That is so weird to me.

Where were you?  Feel free to comment…I’m interested to know.

(Really, let’s not ever forget this day and the people who have fought and continue to fight for our freedom and our safety.

But more than that, don’t forget that we serve a sovereign, merciful God.  He knew this would happen before time began.  It began with Him and it ends with Him.)

1.  For the last week and a half, there is one item that has been absent from our shopping list: diapers!!  Without much effort on our part, Kaiya is pretty much potty-trained.  Through the night.  Number 1 and 2!!!  She has only had a couple of accidents, and I’m sure there will be a few more, but she is otherwise done with diapers.  I’m not sure if she just got sick of diapers or if it was the threat that only “big girls” get to have fun birthday parties…   Honestly, I don’t care if it means no more diapers!!!

2. I’ve been working out at the gym for the past week and I am sore.  Good sore, but sore.  It’s nice to work out in an air-conditioned gym, rather than running outside where it’s hot and muggy.

3. We purchased our tickets to fly to Colorado for Christmas.  I really can’t tell you how ecstatic I am.  The kids and I will be staying an extra two days, so hopefully the flight back won’t be too much of a disaster.  Before a gfcf diet, there is not a chance in the world I would have thought about flying with two kiddos by myself.  Now, it will be a little hectic, but manageable.  Benjamin will be a wonderful helper!

4. I’ve decided that our kitchen needs a massive makeover.  I’m not sure who’s going to pay for it, but it would be nice!  With a new diet, I spend so much time in the kitchen and it’s just not set up well for that.  The appliances are old and inefficient, the counters are too low for someone who is 5′9″ (read:constant backache), the cupboards are inefficient, the pantry is too small (we keep a LOT of dried goods and bulk foods), and the floor is awful.  Yeah, a kitchen makeover won’t be happening anytime soon, but it’s fun to dream.  And I’ll be thankful that I have a kitchen!

That’s all for today.

In February of this year, McCain had the courage to go on record with this statement:

“It’s indisputable that (autism) is on the rise amongst children, the question is what’s causing it. And we go back and forth and there’s strong evidence that indicates that it’s got to do with a preservative in vaccines.”

And of course, Sarah Palin, in her RNC speech said:

“To the families of special-needs children all across this country, I have a message: For years, you sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters.  I pledge to you that if we are elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House.“

A few of you will know where I’m going with this, but I’d like to share with you why this is such a big deal to me, to us.  Please understand that what I’m about to say is something I believe with every fiber of my being:

If we had not put Benjamin on the gluten-free/casein-free diet (among other things), I am 110% sure that my little boy would have been diagnosed as mildly autistic.

Furthermore, I am convinced that it was a vaccination that triggered this effect in my son.  I have no proof, and I think that it is futile for us to pursue proving it at this point in time.  My time is better spent trying to get Benjamin’s body to heal with his diet (and I am positive it can be done…and it’s happening!). 

Does this mean I am on an autism crusade?  No.  Am I on an anti-vaccination crusade?  No, though I do feel verystrongly about how our government and Big Pharma have mislead us.  Is this going to turn into a blog about autism?  Absolutely not.

And why not?

Because he’s not autistic.

I think we figured it out in the nick of time.

But many parents won’t.  I know that there are other parents out there heading down the same path we were on.  They have NO idea.  Their lives will be on the brink of disaster because they can’t figure out what’s going on.  Or they will be blindsided with an autism diagnosis.  And they will wonder why they didn’t have an advocate on their side, why someone didn’t warn them.

If McCain and Palin are elected, they’ll have that advocate.  I have every confidence that more light will be shed on this subject.

And let me be defensive for a moment: before you write me off as “one of those parents”, before you start quoting scientific studies (most of which are severely flawed), before you dare to tell me that it’s genetic, YOU walk a mile in our shoes.  YOU live a day in the life of a parent whose life is about to fall apart because they can’t figure out what happened to their precious child.  I doubt you’d feel the same.  Please excuse my passion on the subject.

Let me tell you how hard it is to write something like this.  For many months now, I’ve skirted the issue, refusing to allow anyone to associate the “A-word” with my son.  My pride wouldn’t allow it.  But let’s be honest…really.

I’m just praying that God can use our story to help even one other child.  It’s worth it.

**oh, and a little plug for WordPress comment moderation: if you happen to stumble across my blog and feel it necessary to leave me a nasty, know-it-all, inflammatory comment, I’ll have the privilege of deleting it before the masses can view it.  Thanks!**

It’s been a crazy couple of days around here.

1. Celebrated Labor Day yesterday with friends Mark and Brandi.  They have (or had…I think it bit the dust) one of those massive blow up waterslide/pool thingies.  The kids all had a blast.  Now that I’m thinking of it, I don’t think we took any pictures.  Wow.

2. I worked out this morning for the first time in a while.  It’s been too stinkin’ warm to run in the mornings (even at 5:00 am!), so I’ve been rather lazy.  However, I’m going to work a few hours a week at the gym that is next to Jarid’s store, so that means a free membership!  I will just be working in the daycare for about 5 hours a week, but it’s extra money and I can work out.  Plus, whenever Jarid and I have a schedule overlap, they are kind enough to let us leave the kids there.  All around good deal.

3. The weather has been cooling down a little, so that’s good.  I’m sure there will be at least one more spike in the temperature before it really settles down, but I’ll take what I can get at this point.

4. I’m getting a little restless.  Homesick for Montana, homesick for Colorado.  Just restless with everything.

5. Football starts this week.  I can’t wait for Thursday night!  I’ll have to get the wings ready ahead of time since I work that day.

6. Basketball season is just around the corner.  A JUCO game has appeared on Jarid’s schedule, so I’m super excited for that.  Any volunteers to babysit for me that night?? 

7. Kaiya is two.  Almost three, but TWO.