Coty and Emma are married

On a brighter note... my son Coty got married back in March. There were some ups and downs involved. Think stomach flu running rampant the week prior to the wedding. We knew it was making its way through the family, so when I woke up Monday morning with my 10 year old throwing up, I thought... oh crude... we are dead. I tried to keep her confined to my bedroom. We shipped Coty over to my mom's house until the wedding. I ran around with disinfectant spraying everything and everyone. We had a few others get it, but had it all under control by the wedding. Whew!

Funny thing is that Coty ended up getting it right after the wedding (they had 3 days before they left on their honeymoon) and I guess Emma got a touch of it on their honeymoon. The one good thing is that it hits hard and quick and then is gone. So while it wasn't something we were happy about, it could have been a lot worse.

We love, love, love, Emma and her family. They were so organized in putting the reception together and so much fun to work with. Emma's mother is a powerhouse who has more energy in her little pinky than I have in my whole body. We have loved getting to know them and are glad that Coty made such a wonderful choice.

Here are some pictures of their wedding.

They are off now to BYU Idaho. Coty is hoping to be accepted into the Physical Therapy program at ISU in a few years and Emma is going for a Nursing degree. That is in between playing basketball. They are doing great, and even though we miss them a lot, are very proud of them.

Sulked long enough... SCD is working

I have felt bad that I left my last post a sulky post, but a lot has happened since then. I guess every once in a while it is okay to have a tantrum and then pick yourself up by your bootstraps and carry on.

Courtney is doing MUCH better. We have been on the SCD diet now for about 3 months. She has gained 10+ lbs. Her colonoscopy and endoscopy showed a complete healing of the upper intestines, but we still have work with the lower part. But she has more energy. She said she use to get dizzy just walking up the stairs. We have added rice flour to her diet, but have decided to take a step back and do the 5 day intro diet again as she is still having tummy problems in the morning. Then we will go back to the basic again and work up from there. I know we are both so excited to do that... not so much. But at least we see progress and that is enough to keep you motivated.

It has been hard trying to fix foods specifically for her and then feed the rest of the family. I spend quite a bit of time cooking or shopping for foods. When you are eating a lot of fruits and veggies, you end up shopping 2-3 times a week because they don't have a long shelf life and you are going through them so fast. Plus my food budget has gone up. The only flour she can have is Almond flour which is $11 for 1 lb. Yikes! But you do what you do.

I find it interesting that doctors say there is no connection to what you eat and Crohn's disease (as well as many other digestive diseases) but it is amazing when you see the results of the changes you make in your eating. If anyone is interested in our resources, here is the book we are using to help educate ourselves and has been very helpful.

Breaking the Vicious Cycle website has been really helpful to and offers lots of information.

And here was an article that I found very promising about dong the SCD diet and recovering from tummy troubles.

NATURAL HEALTH:  Eliminating sugar, carbs can help digestion issues.

Thanks for all of those who have expressed concern or offered help. :) We are hanging in there.

Not every post needs to be happy - dealing with Crohn's

Guess I am going to be selflish and take this post to vent in hopes that it will turn my attitude around. I have always felt that blogs should be a positive experience where you help make someone's day just a little brighter. If you feel the same... please skip the rest of the this post :)

In a previous post I shared how my daughter was diagnoised with Crohn's and was being treated with remicade. Well after a few months, she developed antibodies and it stopped working. So on to Humira. Both of these medications supress the immune system, which they believe is the culprit for attacking the intestines and causing Crohn's. It appears after several months that the Humira may have worn out its usefulness also. I cannot describe the feeling you get watching your daughter waste away no matter how much food she eats. I hear on a daily basis, "mom, I am so hungry" as she eats another meal. I think most mothers feel successful if they provide a clean warm house, clean clothes, love and can put their kids to bed knowing their tummies were full with a good meal. Isn't there a reason someone came up with the term "comfort food". But no matter what you do or feed her, she keeps losing weight.

So I have studied, researched, read and the more I find out, the more confusing it gets. What "might" work for one person, doesn't help another. Diets, medications, supplements, accupuncture. We have been "trying" the Specific Carbohydrate Diet for almost a week now and so far haven't found a lot of relief. Anything! I will take ANY indication we are on the right track. No wheat, no dairy, no sugar, no fiber, no potatoes, no rice, no gluten. It leaves protein (which some people still have problems with), eggs (which some people still have problems with), fruit (which some people still have problems with), some veggies (which some people still have problems with). As you can see, it is kind of tough to sort it all out. What to eat, how to fix it, how do you feed the rest of your family while following this diet for one? I find my attitude about food becoming negative. Reading the ingredient labels of things I would normally bring home has me calling white bread "death in a bag". Running to any number or stores looking for bacon without nitrates or sugar. Spending hours in a health food store only to find that a lot of the stuff isn't actually that healthy.

I told my daughter about another diet that has found some success... the enteral diet which is a liquid diet for 4-8 weeks. Then you slowly add foods back in. I could see the frustration in her eyes and her voice when she said she wasn't sure she could do that.

I feel angry and frustrated. Some claim that people get Crohn's from eating unhealthy processed foods. I have always felt that my family ate better than most. I fixed most meals from scratch, we eat very little processed foods (except for an occasional pizza). Others say it is caused by a bacteria in the meat we eat, but we raise our own beef. I keep asking myself, where did we go wrong for this to happen. And what I wouldn't do for things to just go back to normal. I want people to stop asking me to do things for them, because my daughter is starving to death and nothing you need done is more important than helping her.


Thank you for letting me vent. Not sure I feel better, but I know that I am not alone. There are many others who are dealing with this also and I know that my Heavenly Father is there watching and comforting. I just pray that we will be guided to an answer on how best to help our daughter.

Wedding Plans!

It is true! We have a son that is engaged. And might I add that he picked a winner. When you get to the point in your life that you know it is only a matter of time before one of your kids finds a spouse, you start to worry. Will they pick someone who will be good and supportive? Will they mesh with our family? Will all of us in-laws get a long? Will they improve the gene pool of our family? haha. Just kidding on the last one... kind of ;)

My answer to all of these is yes, yes, yes and YES! 

It was about the time he went back to school that he realized how much he really cared about this girl he had been dating. By they time Thanksgiving was rolling around he knew that would be the perfect time to propose. But she was curious and knew something was up, so surprise was our friend. Coty driving back from college with some friends and told Emma (yes that is her name) that he would be in late that evening. She later claimed he lied and she can't believe that he "lied" to her. It was all necessary though to pull this off. Emma helps coach the Bonney Lake High School girls basketball team. So she went there thinking Coty would be in about 8pm. Thanks to some help from her parents, we snuck into the high school, with the whole entourage, and as soon as practice was coming to an end, Coty walked into the gym, dropped down on one knee and asked her to marry him. She was really surprised. SUCCESS!!!

Notice that she never dropped the basketball.... not at all. She is a basketball player at heart! A perfect match for my basketball loving son. We love Emma for so many reasons, she is smart, kind, a hard worker and most of all, my son loves her.

March 9th is the wedding. We are in full throws of planning. Thankfully Emma and her mother are very organized and keeping us all lined out. It has been a great joy meeting their family and knowing that Coty will be cared for as much there as we love him here.

Congrats Coty and Emma! We love you both!

Cello Camp

What kind of mother makes her daughter go to Cello camp during the summer? Yep me, that's what kind (insert evil laugh here)

I will say that it is not easy task hauling your cello, bow, stand and music around. And the fact she was the youngest kid in the cello group by several years could also be daunting. But it was a very cool experience. I guess it wasn't so much a cello camp as it was an orchestra which broke up into their instrument groups to practice. The theme was "The good, the bad and the ugly". At the end of the week, they all played together and put on a show for us. It was actually pretty good. This was in conjunction with the Maple Valley Youth Orchestra. The people who ran it were fantastic.

The first day Sidney came home and I asked her what she learned. Her answer... "I learned how to fake play". Then she proceeded to sit down and show me how to run the bow across the strings without making a sound. She was pretty happy with herself. So the next day I took her back and we talked to the cello instructor who took some one on one time with her so she wouldn't have to "fake play" anymore. I will say, she is resourceful.

If you are interested, she had her picture on the webpage for The Reported which served Covington, Black Diamond and Maple Valley. Read about it HERE.

Another fantastic use for Apple Cider Vinegar - for Women Only

If you are a guy... I am warning you... retreat!

There, you had a chance.


I am 44 (almost 45). One problem I have had most of my life is heavy menstural cycles (I have endometriosis). As I have gotten older, they have gotten even worse (if that is possible).

I panicked when out of the blue, my Aunt Flo decided to visit early, which meant she was visiting while I went to our church's girls camp. We camp with over 250 girls for a week. So I googled! (see a pattern in my life? Google can fix anything haha).

The answer... apple cider vinegar (I got mine at Trader Joes).

Take 1 tablespoon of organic, non-filtered apple cider vinegar in the morning and in the evening in a glass diluted with water (yes it tastes terrible), then wash it down with some more water after. It will make a HUGE difference. I have tried prescription drugs which didn't even touch the problem. I started doing the ACV the morning  Auntie came to town and it was pretty amazing. I read it is also great for the digestive system and many people take a tablespoon a day anyways. To get the full benefit of helping you through "that time of the month" continue to take it when you are off cycle.

Let's talk teeth.. and cavities

I have Sidney stories coming out my ears. She is funny, spunky and troublemaker cutie.

I am learning so many new things being her mother. One that I would like to share with you, what do you do with a child who is VERY cavity prone?

Her first visit to the dentist resulted in 4 cavities. Even though he didn't say it, I know he thought I was the kind of mother who puts her child to bed with a bottle filled with Coke or Pepsi. Or snipped off the rubber part of her binky and replaced with with a Jolly Ranchers.

The only thing I had going for me is that between my other 3 kids, they have combined... MAYBE 4 fillings. And the oldest is 23. Proof that perhaps I am not horrific... well at least in dental hygiene department with my kids.

And yep, every visit after, even with all the fancy schmancy mouthwashes, toothbrushes, toothpastes, she ALWAYS has at least one cavity. I will say she is pretty tough in the dental seat.

I finally decided to do some research. Between my googling and talking to our current dentist (yeah I switched, beady judging eyes are hard to deal to with at each 6 month visit), I found out that while brushing and flossing HELPS prevent cavities, some people are more susceptible because of a bacteria they have in their mouth. And yes, it can be transfered by sharing spoons, straws etc. It is called mutant streptococci. There is more info here (or google it).

So here I am, with a child who is actually attempting to do a good job on her teeth. Whatcha gonna do?

Xylitol!

It is a tooth friendly, nonfermentable sugar alcohol. Which means this sweetener is actually good for your teeth. It helps to neuturalize the bacteria, prevents tooth decay AND can actually help rebuild enamel.

Seriously, why haven't I been told about this sooner!

I went on Amazon and ordered Spry gum and mints. I figured they would be easy to carry around in my purse. Then I could give one to Sidney if we were out and had a snack. Or they are easy for her to just grab them a couple of times during the day.

I also got this gum

So far, the only gum that I have found that has Xylitol as the first ingredient is Ice Breaker Ice Cubes.

There you go....

Hope this helps you, well and us too!