Still

18 Months...How is that even possible???

You are still the sweetest little thing I have ever seen. Your laugh melts our hearts, and with your impish grin you could get away with murder.

You still love people, animals, being outside, playing in water & eating. But there are more words now, more silly antics, more drama.

You still love to explore and discover and play. But not with toys. You look at toys like they are something beneath you..."who me, play with that???". Instead we play outside with the dirt. We play with the pots and pans in the kitchen while we are cooking. We read books and drag around our stuffed animal friends. We play with friends, 'old' and 'new' (when you are 18 months, that's a relative term!).

You are still tall (85%) and lean (35%), and we still haven't moved out of size three diapers.

You are still beautiful, with big blue eyes and crazy curly hair.

You still teach us to notice people and to be kind.

You still don't like to miss anything, from cuddle-time, to talk-time, to play-time, to dinner-time, you want to be included.

You are still a little bit of trouble, and you still are full of opinions!

Most importantly, you are still our little one. We are still thankful for every day with you, and we still love you more than we can say. 

 

What Matters

On Monday nights I host/facilitate a small group for some really sweet, amazing ladies. Love them!

This year we have been doing the Treasure Principle Bible Study. I have really enjoyed the study for lots of reasons. Our conversations on Monday nights always leave me inspired to go out and start giving of my time and my money to something that matters. For eternity. For people. For the Kingdom of God. For a hurting world. And there are so many hurts; it can be a little overwhelming.

One of hurts that has been on my heart is human trafficking and the modern-day slave trade. I have recently been getting involved and getting to know some really cool ministries. And let me tell you, I had no idea. I am still floored when I think of what is going on in Houston and all over the world. And the more I learn, the more I have to do something. You can't learn about these things and then go back to normal.

And my prayer has been that I will be moved to let this idea of living for the Kingdom permeate my life. So that Addie grows up learning how to help a hurting world. So that our time, money and resources are spent helping a hurting world. The main gist of the Treasure Principle is that where you spend your time and money show you where your heart is.

While Americans, even Christians (even me!), tend to believe that the one who dies with the most toys win, the reality is that you can't take anything with you. But...you can send it ahead. And you do that by investing NOW in the kingdom of God.

So Matt and I are trying to be more deliberate. It is a daunting and challenging task that I know we will never do perfectly (or anywhere near that!). Thankfully, there is grace for when we fall short.

One of the ways we are convicted to be more deliberate is the companies that we support with our money. Because, like it or not, we vote with our money. Probably more than we do on election day. We are telling the companies that we buy from that we are fine with how they do business, and we are supporting their ethics (or lack there-of).

One of the two issues that we have decided that we can't budge from, even when it is very inconvenient, is the plight of the unborn and child trafficking.

And this is where it gets sticky.

Because a lot of the food we buy profits from the child trafficking and abortion industries.

For example, Frito Lay, Nestle and PepsiCo use aborted fetal cells to test artificial flavors. Articles: Here, Here.

And all of the chocolate I love to eat? Unless it is fair trade (which is a very small percentage of the chocolate we consume), it is farmed by children that are being trafficked. Hersey and Nestle are two of the worst companies. Articles: Here, Here.

So what can we do? I know that will look different for each person. But I do think we all need to be more deliberate. What we buy and where we spend our money MATTER. It is more expensive (sometimes a lot more expensive) to buy products that are fair-trade. And I really miss eating fritos with my favorite bar-b-que sandwich. But...I want my decisions to make a difference. And that chocolate doesn't seem nearly as appealing now anyway.

And for those that choose to celebrate Halloween, here is a great article with suggestions for ethical Halloween candy . And, I promise...my next post will be more fun :).

New Addition...

Sweet Brandon

How cute is he???

And, no, we aren't adopting. Although I wish we were. But we are sponsoring!

Our church partners with several orphanage in Kenya to help provide a home, education, love and, most importantly, Christ, to precious little children who would otherwise not have a home. The orphanages are amazing. Each child lives with wonderful house parents, along with other kiddos of the same age. Their needs are met in a way they never have been before, they are LOVED on, they are taught, and shown, Christ, on a daily basis. It makes me so happy.

Matt and I have already been so blessed by this little guy.  He has opened our eyes to suffering and to redemption. And we get to email with him...LOVE it and LOVE HIM. We can't wait to go visit him as soon as the Lord allows us too.

And we can't wait to introduce him to this little cutie...

Brandon calls her 'his little sister, Addison'...how sweet is that!?!

Matt and I pray Philippians 1:3-11 over both of them...

"I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me. For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."

Happy October!

Because it went below 70 degrees this week...

Genetically Modified Foods

Here is a clip from Rep. Kucinich arguing before Congress on the need for more transparency in our food supply.

Here is a documentary on GM foods that is being shown for free for the next several days.

Here is an article detailing the most recent study highlighting the health risks on genetically modified foods. This article includes a link to the abstract of the study.

Here is an interview on the study if you would prefer to watch a video.

Here is a mini-documentary if you don't have time to watch the previous documentary (or just want more information).

Some Favorite Books

I have been doing quite a bit of reading recently thanks to Matt's schedule. Here are some of my favorite reads from the past couple of months:

1. Safely Home by Randy Alcorn.

This is a fictional account of the persecuted church in China. But it is incredibly well researched and based in fact. Much of what you read about in this book, you won't read about in the news. Like with so many of Randy Alcorn's books, it ultimately points you to Heaven while it pulls back the curtain to show you a very Biblical and very amazing glimpse of what awaits us. Definitely a page turner.




2. Give Them Grace by Elyse Fitzpatrick.

This book highlights how easily we model for our kids a work-based gospel, instead of a grace-based gospel. It stresses the importance of showing our kids (and everyone!) the gospel of grace in every situation. I found it to be a refreshing break from all the parenting books that guarantee a specific result if you follow a specific equation.




3. The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan.

This is just a funny, well written book. Corrigan has a great ability to make you feel as if you really know the characters. In the midst of some heavy reads, this was a great way to break it up!






4. Does the Birth Control Pill Cause Abortions by Randy Alcorn.

Speaking of heavy reads, this certainly qualifies. You have to hand it to Alcorn, he is a master at research and analysis. This is a must read for any couple considering their birth control options, any physician, pastor or counselor. He provides research from physicians, pill manufacturers, scientists and many other sources that are hard to ignore. This is definitely not information you will hear from many doctors (even Christians) as many of them are just not aware of what exactly the pill (and other chemical birth control) does.


5. The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde.

This is actually a play, not a book, but it is the best. play. ever. written. I am a huge fan of all British Lit., but I think that Shakespeare sometimes gets a little too much attention. Oscar Wilde's writing was a witty, satirical, at times absurd commentary on British society in the late 1800's. In my opinion, it was for its time what Seinfeld is for our time. I think I have read this play at least a dozen times; it never gets old.




6. Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae.

Okay, this is actually a children's book. But I have read it every day the past couple of months, since it is Addie's favorite. And seeing how it involves one of Addie's main loves (giraffes) with one of my main loves (dance), it is perfect! Seriously though, this is a great child's book with a great message, and the rhythmic text makes littles love to hear it over and over.





Happy Reading!

Sick

Passed out on my chest...her home for about 4 days...

Well it finally happened...Addie got sick. After 15.5 months without a runny nose, earache or cold, we could avoid it no longer. A virus.

It actually got all of us. First Matt, then Addie, then me. From the time Matt started noticing he wasn't feeling well until we could all crawl out of bed again was a little over a week. It was a nasty bug. Addie's fever spiked around 103 degrees. Poor little thing. 

Since she was feeling so badly, she would only sleep on top of me. And since she was so congested, she would only sleep for very short stretches before she would wake up scared because she couldn't breathe. 

It was so sad. And so hard.

But we made it. And at least we got lots of cuddling in :).

Since I recently shared my thoughts on food, here are my thoughts on dealing with a sick little one. 

* I think fevers are good, so we let them run its course (as long as it doesn't get too high in relation to age). This means no Tylenol for us (or Ads). A fever is how your body fights a cold, virus, etc. I have also read several interesting medical and anthropological articles that hypothesize that one of the (many) reasons there is such an uptick in cancer rates is because we don't allow children to have fevers anymore. This is because heat can kill cancer, so if you have a fever spike occasionally it can be a good thing.

* We try to avoid antibiotics if at all possible. And for a virus, they don't work anyway. Antibiotics only kill bacterial infections, not viral infections. 

* We eat lots of raw garlic. It works on anything: viral, bacterial, yeast infections. Ads even ate some (and I downed it, and since I am still nursing, she got a lot more that way).

* We take extra Vitamin D, C and other supplements.

* We get as much rest as possible, eat lots of healthy foods, and spend a few minutes in the sun everyday (I'm telling you, around here we think the sun can cure anything!).

* We avoid cough syrups, antihistamines and all over-the-counter medicine like its the plague. Not only do they slow down your body's natural healing ability and make you more susceptible for a relapse, they are FULL of dyes, chemicals, corn-syrup and all kinds of scary stuff.

Which brings me to my proudest moment yet as a mom.

After about 5 days of Ads not sleeping at all, Matt decided the best thing for her was to have some benadryl so that she could sleep for a night and hopefully reset her body. I was horrified. That is not an exaggeration. But because I trust my wise, soon-to-be doctor of a husband, I told him we could give her benadryl. this. one. time. only.

So we got our poor little sick baby to give her the poison benadryl, and she refused to take any! Keep in mind that she eats raw garlic without a fuss, drinks a nasty green shake every morning because she sees me do it and loves things like artichoke soup. I have never seen her refuse to eat something. Until the benadryl.

I have never been so proud!

By the way, she loves the homeopathic medicine Matt got for her. Matt says I have brainwashed her; I think she is just a very discerning 15 month old.

And, for all of you who think I am crazy, I am aware that I am a smidge out of the mainstream :)


** If you want to watch a funny sitcom that highlights some of my oddities, here you go (watch till about 2:20).

Memories for Ads

Ads,
Since a major reason for this blog is to help us remember, years from now,  our life when you were a little one, I thought I would start writing down some of my favorite memories.


- When I go get you from your nap, or nighttime, you sit up in the crib, smile at me and grab Thumper with one hand and Kissy Bear with the other hand. You then look at me expectantly, waiting to be picked up. You are so warm and delicious after waking up...I could just eat you up!


- You have a wonderful zest for life and love trying new things, meeting new people, tasting new foods, etc. You went fishing for the first time with Uncle Will and had no fear touching the bass. You also love to go to the library and walk from person to person saying 'hi'. If someone ignores you, you stand there and stare them down, until they acknowledge you. Its precious. You are so determined, but you never get discouraged.

- You are incredibly, incredibly curious and fearless. You explore everything, study everything, get into everything. You are not a little girl that is going to sit quietly and play dolls. You walk/run/crawl/tumble/dive headfirst into whatever you are interested in, whether its a pool, a friend, a fun new windowsill to climb. You require CONSTANT supervision. I will walk out of a room for ten seconds and come back in to find that you have crawled your way up several pieces of furniture, are now sitting on a windowsill four feet above the ground and are about to jump off. I get there just in time to watch you pick your self up off the floor from your jump and keep playing. I rarely get anything else done during the day..., and I love it that way!



- You love to go grocery shopping. You have so much fun looking at all the different fruits, vegetables, cheese. And you get so excited when I put bananas and yogurt in the cart! HA, poor little thing, you have no idea I have tricked you into loving healthy foods :).

- At all of our 'regular' restaurants, you have your favorite waiters who fight to wait on us. They adore you. At El Meson, Armando calls you his girlfriend and you flirt with him the whole meal.


- For all of the energy you have, I am always amazed that when we carry you through church, or put you in your carseat for errands, or go out to eat for lunch, you seems to know that its time to switch to laid-back mode (atleast most of the time). It is really remarkable how you have so much energy, joy and zest, but are also so laid-back and never sweat the small stuff (or the big stuff). You are always so happy.

- You love to look at pictures of yourself... definitely a Goodwin trait!


- Your favorite books right now are "Brown Bear, Brown Bear...What Do You See?" & "Giraffes Can't Dance". You love all animals (definitely got that from your dad), but by far your favorite ones are giraffes and cats. Whenever you see a picture of one, they always get a kiss. You have even started saying Mike's name!


- You also have started saying "Amen" after our prayer times, so cute. And you have now started saying "Mila"!


- You love to go visit Mila, Pops, Aunt Beks, Mike and Samba. You never run out of people to play with you and love on you!


- You are a ridiculous sleeper. I mean RIDICULOUS. No matter what we do, there are nights you will be in your crib squeaking for hours. After months of trying everything under the sun, we have realized that its just you. And since you got that sleep trait from me (eek), I am just praying that you are the only one of our kids who gets that gene. Of course, my mom said I started sleeping so much better when my brother was born b/c she put us in the same room. Since I still can't sleep by myself (I know, ridiculous), I am hoping that as soon as we give you another sibling, it will improve. Here's hoping!



- I love how you like to burrow under the covers and pillows when we are napping/snuggling. I especially love it when Dada is napping and you crawl under there and pull out his leg hairs!


You are so much fun; I hate being away from you, even for an hour (so I rarely am!). I love you so much!

-Mama

Summer

Phone Pics

Thanks to the heat and the rain, we have been spending A LOT of time in doors...not exactly our favorite thing. But on the bright side, who knew Whole Foods could provide such fun play-dates? Car-grocery carts, an aquarium and free snacks! And we always love time with our favorite furry friend (and the most patient cat EVER).

Lunch with Mila (and Pops)!

* In case anyone is wondering why I am always wearing headbands, my straightener broke, and I haven't gotten my new one yet!

Happy Freedom Day!

Food Philosophies...

Baking with the little one!

You may think its strange that I have a philosophy on food (of course, Matt would argue that I have a philosophy on everything else, so of course I have a philosophy on food). I guess you could say that my food philosophy is due to a "perfect storm" of events. I have had a pretty weak immune system in the past, and its has been remarkable how much diet has impacted the strength of my immune system. That, combined with friends who have gone the "all-natural" route, a husband in the medical community (who has a bent towards alternative medicine) and some really disgusting documentaries (anyone seen Food, Inc???), have made me really aware of the need to be deliberate and mindful of what I put in (and on) our bodies. So Matt and I strive to eat as locally, organically and healthfully as possible (while still enjoying life). Although it takes a while to get past the learning curve (there is so much we are not told about food), once you get it down, its pretty easy.

Some of the baking & cooking 'philosophies' we follow are:

- We try to avoid white flour and sugar. This is surprisingly easy. Stevia, honey and xylitol are excellent substitutes, and I can't tell a difference when I bake with them. Flour has been a progression for as, as we moved from white flour to whole wheat flour to almond and coconut flour (since Matt eats paleo).

- I don't cook with vegetable oils, ever. I mostly use coconut oil for baking and olive oil for cooking. I also occasionally use butter.

- I cook in glass, ceramic or cast iron. Cast iron is my favorite, it holds onto the seasonings, so everything tastes better.

- We try to eat only free-range chicken and grass-fed beef.

- We drink raw milk (gasp!).

- We eat lots of veggies and fruit.

We are both convinced that when we follow these guidelines, we feel better, our immune systems are stronger, and the food tastes better.

But...

I still LOVE sweets.

Thankfully, I have recently discovered almond flour in an attempt to bake/cook more paleo. I had no clue baked goods would be so delicious when you made them with almond flour instead of wheat flour, but they really are! I recently found a place where you can buy bulk almond flour very inexpensively, and we also have been grinding our own. By far my favorite thing I have made are these brownies. Amazing. We are also loving paleo bread, peanut butter blondies and chocolate chip cookies. ( I use coconut oil instead of butter and xylitol instead of sugar in all of these recipes).

 Happy Eating!

Spring: a recap in pictures

Since today is officially the last day of spring, here are some pics of what we have been up to the past few months. 

As you can tell we spend most of our time outside, in the sun & water, our favorite things :).