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Pin It Now! Fourteen years ago today, I was beyond blessed with the most amazing child I ever could have imagined.


He changed my life.


He made me grow up.


He made me look at things differently.


He made me a better person.


If any of you know my testimony, you know that God has truly taken me from death to life. I was a thief, I used and abused drugs and alcohol. I treated the people who loved me like garbage. During the most difficult times of my life, I lost my family and I cannot blame them. However, God is ALWAYS faithful. Those relationships are restored and my family can see that I am a new person in Christ. 
The one thing my family prayed wouldn't happen.... happened. I got pregnant. I was young and afraid. I had not spoken to my mom in months, yet she was the person I called for help. She drove immediately from Boulder to Colorado Springs to get me. 


Fourteen years ago today, I was beyond blessed. When Linden was born, it was like a new birth in me. God always knows what He is doing. Even though we may not be able to see or understand why things happen, He does. The Holy Spirit changed me that day and if it were not for that day; and that child, I would be in prison or dead. There is no doubt in my mind. So, even though my family prayed for the opposite, God knew what it would take to get my heart focused on Him. I strayed a lot and it took a few years for me to listen to His voice. I am so thankful He doesn't give up. 

Happy Birthday Linden!! You mean more to this mamma then you will ever know. He saved my soul, and you changed my life. 

I LOVE YOU!!! 

Yes, I have Hashimotos, and I am thrilled!!!

Pin It Now! Okay, I know the title may seem bizarre, especially considering the fact that I probably shouldn't be excited to find out that I have Hashimotos disease. But, I am excited!!

Let me explain. As I posted in my last blog, I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism while pregnant with Aeron, and again with Josiah. I never really knew what that meant, but just that I had to take medication during both pregnancies to keep my thyroid regulated (seriously, whatever THAT meant)?

So, a couple weeks ago, I was finally diagnosed with Hashimotos disease. Brian and I were discussing this with my endocrinologist and she believes that I probably have had Hashimotos waiting around for years, but pregnancy brought it on. So now Brian and I believe that I may have been pretty bad for a couple of years; as we don't remember my previous doctor re-checking my thyroid levels after I had Aeron. As I look back on the last two and a half years, I have felt the same; meaning I have been super tired, which is the main thing I notice changing now that I am on medication. Not to mention my difficulty losing weight even though I have totally re-vamped my life.

Hence the reason for the title! I am beyond excited to finally KNOW what is wrong with my body! For those of you who have ever been to the house we live in... you will know that we have been "working" on it for, well, the entire time we have owned it. Which is three years this June. I mean all of the "fixing up" you can imagine in a 25 year old house. Removing carpet and putting down laminate wood flooring, painting ALL the wood white, some big remodeling (like putting up walls), tearing up hardwood flooring and putting down tiles, re-doing bathrooms. Whew! The list continues... I promise. I have wanted to get this stuff done, but just, couldn't!! I always felt so tired. I could have a cup of coffee (or two and yes, regular... what's the point of decaf anyways?) at 4 pm and still be more than ready ready for bed by 8:30 at night. What am I, 90 years old? I just thought that was normal!! And praise God...  I was wrong!! After being on my medication for a week, maybe a week and a half, I was on my feet for two days straight (I know that sounds pitiful) but seriously! I have not been able to do that in AGES people! I am so ready to get this house finished. In fact, I would be willing to bet that I have accomplished more in those two days than I had in two months.

Having explained all of that. I am still at 177, which I am also okay with. I now know that there is a reason, not an excuse, but a reason for my difficulty losing weight. I am not going to let that stop me! I will not sit behind that diagnosis and let it tell me what I can and cannot do. It may take longer than I ever wanted it to, and it may not! Truthfully I don't know what else being on the medication will help. I do know that my body has been TOTALLY out of whack for a long time so maybe finally being on meds will actually help me to lose weight faster? My doctor said that her patients that do the best with Hashimotos are the people who run on a regular basis, so that is encouraging!

In another note that I will blog about later, my pastor has been delivering A-MA-ZING sermons lately. Not that he hasn't in the past, but wowsa has it been great! He talked about idols and what we place above God and how virtually anything can be an idol and inhibit our relationship with our Savior. Food, you have officially lost that place in my life. I will NO LONGER be a slave to you. I fully and completely give God the place He DESERVES in my life. Food has never died in my place, food has never loved me the way He has and never will. Lord, you have my full attention and I love you!!!!!

Stay tuned! More to come!!


Also, please feel free to comment or email me. It is always so nice to hear from you!

Houston, we have a problem!

Pin It Now! Hello all!

The last three weeks have been crazy to say the least. I have finally succumb to the fact that I have a 2 1/2 year old and a 5 month old that need... ahhhh... almost all of my attention. Not that I am using that as an excuse for a lack of anything getting done, because I am not. I love every crazy minute of it. I am also thankful for a teenager who is so willing to help  :).  My reason for saying that is this: I finally realize that I will probably not be able to write once a week for approximately the next 18 years. :)

I did exercise over the last couple of weeks, running mostly and I must admit that I am happy with my slow progress. My lowest weigh-in was 177! Woohoo!!! Of course, it goes up and down due to water weight, and what time of  day that I weigh in, but all in all I am okay with it (well, not really, but I will get to that in a second).

As far as exercise goes, I really do enjoy running, but I don't have access to a treadmill so when I run it has to be outside and of course, unless Brian is home, I have to run with the kids. For those of you who live in Colorado, you know how unbelievable the wind has been and I hate having Josiah out in that craziness! So, I choose not to run as much as I would like. I am wayyy too tired to wake up in the morning ( I will explain that in a minute as well) and do Pilate's (LOVE!!) which if I feel up to it, I can get done in home, before the kids wake up. Oh! I almost forgot to tell you... I ran 4.33 miles one day and 4.93 another! WOOHOO!!! Okay....  I had to get my "pat on the back" out of the way ;) I learned from those two days... baby steps Heather, baby steps. And one of the BEST things about those two days is that I had my kids and hubby with me for t least one of the runs! Let me tell you, there is nothing more sweet to my heart than hearing my 13 year old gently say, "keep going mom! You can do this!" Not to mention my husband cheering me on. I am blessed!

I am still eating fairly well, yet I can tell you that I also feel like I am slowly treading my way back to cruddy eating. Our pastor gave a sermon this last Sunday about temptation and how it always starts out small. Temptation doesn't have to be something sexual in nature, it can be food, as is my temptation. And it has started out small for me... I can hear it now; Just one cookie. Just one bite of the brownie, just one bite of the bread. It isn't just ONE bite!! It never has been for me and hopefully that will change, but for now, it is what it is and I cannot allow myself to have ANY of  the "bad" foods. At the very least, it's just something I have to watch out for. That ever creeping desire to eat my way into oblivion.

So, the reason for this weeks title? I have been suuuuper tired, and really wondering; WHY am I not losing more weight?!?!? When I was pregnant, I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism (not very uncommon at all) and took synthroid. I stopped after Josiah was born and I was supposed to get re-checked in February. I kept pushing it off and finally had decided not to get it checked because I felt okay, just tired. Sooo, thank goodness for my husband!! He convinced me that I needed to go. My doctor called me the next day (today) and let me know that I needed to see an Endocrinologist because the "normal" level for my thyroid should be 5.5 and mine is 181. That is correct, one-hundred eighty-one. My doctor said she had never seen a number so high for the thyroid.

So, what that explains is that I am very tired because of my thyroid, and I am probably having problems losing weight due to my thyroid. Not to mention all of the other things that can go haywire in your body. She believes it is something called "postpartum thyroiditis" which is fixable. So, please take a second if you think of me over the next couple of weeks and say a prayer that we get this under control quickly and I have no further reaction to my levels being so high.

Hopefully this will get things back on track and I am trusting in my Lord for healing and strength! My family and I have fun exercising together, and although I am "stuck" in a cooking rut, we are still eating so that's good ;).


So, If you are someone who tried my cake like brownies, I have to apologize. I really am not sure what happened with that recipe! I made it again according to what I posted and it was awful! So, here is another recipe and I promise, it's a keeper :)

EASY CURRY CHICKEN

SERVES 2-4 PEOPLE

·      1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into chunks.

·      2 tbs canola oil

·      1 green pepper, cut into cubes

·      1 onion, cut into cubes

·      2 carrots, peeled and cut on a bias

·      2 tbs. curry paste ** (can be made with curry powder and water. Mix into a paste)

·      1 cup chicken broth

·      ½ cup low fat coconut milk

·      ½ tsp sugar (Splenda)

·     

·      2 servings brown rice

Begin by cooking the rice first as it usually takes about 45 minutes for brown rice.

Heat a wok or deep-sided frying pan over medium-high heat. Add canola oil and allow time to heat until it ripples. Add the onion, carrot and pepper and “stir-fry” until the onion is cooked translucent. Add the curry paste and cook until fragrant.

Add the chicken and stir-fry for approx. 5 minutes or until the chicken is browned and coated with the curry paste.

Add the chicken broth, Splenda, salt and pepper flakes. Cover and cook over LOW heat for approximately 20 minutes, making sure the chicken is cooked through.

When it is done, pour OVER the rice on a platter and serve family style. I also have lite soy sauce available on the table. 

**I have had to add more paste (up to an additional 2-3 tbs).