Whole30 Day 2

That's about right....

Day 1 Reflections:
- Definitely needed to add more to my breakfast, the egg cups didn't fill me up.  Had my husband make some beef sausage patties to add to my breakfasts going forward.
- Dinner was AMAZING. Seriously... check this out...

You can see our version of the recipe by heading over to our food blog.

It was so good, definitely the highlight of Day 1.

Day 2
I probably won't blog about every day, then again if we keep having meals as amazing as Day 1's dinner, I might.

Feeling a little blah today.  We were told to expect to feel hungover without the fun night before and I guess we are.  I think Chad is feeling it a little worse than I am.  I am tired and have a headache, but honestly that has been my constant state of being for the last few months that it just feels like another day to me.  I know Chad was really tired and slept more this morning.

I had a late morning freak out when I lost my pen.  I mean it was a pen.. but yeah a bit edgy.

Meals for today:

Breakfast: 2 Egg Cups, 2 beef sausage patties and a banana.  I ate a banana.  If you know me, then you know that is a #NSV.  (Non-scale victory).  I hate bananas.  They are mushy and weird.  I mean, they don't require chewing.  It will start dissolving in your mouth before you even begin to chew.  What is that.  Okay, moving on.

Lunch: Leftovers from last night.  I have been talking about this lunch all morning.  My coworkers thing I am weird (though that probably isn't any different than normal).  The smell, geez, wonderful.  I think I dreamed about this meal last night.  Definitely going to have to repeat it.

Dinner:  Zoodles with Chicken and veggies.  I think.  Chad is supposed to be making/prepping our dinner's for the rest of the week today while he is off, so that will be good.  We ate dinner pretty late last night.  It was worth the wait, but still not something we like doing.

Extras: I have an apple sauce pouch, hard boiled egg, pistachios, and some green olives for either extras to go with my meals, or a snack if I need one.  Also brought another La Croix today.  Not sure how I feel about them, taste like flat soda with bad flavoring to me, but it is better than going for some juice or soda.

Now, I think I might go relax for the last 15 minutes of my lunch hour.  This hangover period needs to pass quickly.

Whole30 Day 1

Chad and I started Whole30 today. If you don't know what that is, you can read more about it on the Whole30 website.  Basically for 30 days we are removing items from our menu that have been shown to cause issues for most people- bloating, bathroom issues, energy, sleep, etc.  For 30 days we are removing sugar, legumes, grains, alcohol, dairy and a few other items from our menu.  We are eating whole meats, vegetables, fruits and healthy fats.  This will help reset our bodies.  The hope is that by removing these foods we will see improvements in our health and fitness. 

After the 30 days we will slowly reintroduce the items we removed, evaluate how they effect us.  Do we feel usually tired?  Are we bloated?  Are we stuck in the bathroom?  Etc.  Once we know how they foods affect us, we can decide if they need to be limited in our eating or removed all together, or if they cause no unwanted effects for us.

I can only speak for myself, you will have to ask Chad his thoughts, but I am hoping my sleep and energy improve.  And yes, I am hoping to see some physical changes as well.

Today was our day one.  I can tell you I was ready for it.  We had cleaned out all the non-compliant foods last Thursday (Friday is trash day!) so there was very little in our house.  That plus the fact we had lots of things planned this weekend, caused us to eat out more than normal. Chinese buffet, BBQ and Pizza.  By Sunday I just felt blah.

We did our grocery shopping and some prepping on Sunday.  Our first Whole30 meal tried to burn our hours down, but that's what we get trying to prep when we are exhausted and not thinking clearly.  We made egg cups (we make them often, I will post the recipe on our Food Blog and link it here).  However, we added more veggies to them, than normal, but didn't adjust the number of cups we tried to make. This caused the cups to be filled a little too much and they overflowed in the oven.  This created lots of smoke.  We had to lock the cats up in the master bathroom at the opposite end of the house, send the dog outside and open all the doors and windows.  34 degrees and snowing and we had the doors and windows open.  Good times.  Signs of a fun adventure to come!

But hey, we got this.  We can do anything for 30 days.  And we are worth it.   More to come, hope you will follow us along on our adventure.

February Reads-2018

Another month down for 2018.


Am I the only one that one minute thinks, "Wow time is moving so slowly." and then the next is scratching my head wondering how we can already be into the third month of the year.

I have been reading quite a bit this month.  Mostly because the weather here has been terrible.  Nothing says "let's cozy up with some good books," like snowy, rainy, windy weather.

I like Rick Riordan's books.  I breezed through the Percy Jackson series.  This series is about the Norse Gods, but is no less entertaining.  Nice, quick reads!

Very interesting read. Many concepts were still over my head, but I have picked up enough from a college astronomy class and Big Bang Theory to follow most of what he described. Definitely needs to be read a chapter at a time to give you time to let the knowledge sink in. Great read.

I really liked this book.  Different that her Divergent series, but no less entertaining.  Was quite disappointed when I got to the end and realized the rest of the series has not been released yet- not good at waiting!

My first Brandon Mull book.  Look forward to reading many more.  The universe he has created is quite fascinating.

I have to give this 3 stars, not because it wasn't good but because the ending annoyed me. I read a lot of series. Series, no matter the number books on the series follow a pattern. The series, as a whole, as a story, a conflict, an issue it overcomes. But each individual book has a smaller story, a piece of the overall story it deals with, it conquers. closed up by the end. You have questions at the end, usually dealing with the overall story. But you always have answers, even if only small ones. Enough answers to draw you in but not so many you don't want to keep reading. I finished this book with way more questions than answers. In fact I don't think I have any answers. I barely know the characters. Ugh, I would say I am so annoyed that I don't want to finish the series but I know I will because I am a serial reader and if I start a series, I will finish it.

I have to give this 3 stars, not because it wasn't good but because the ending annoyed me. I read a lot of series. Series, no matter the number books on the series follow a pattern. The series, as a whole, as a story, a conflict, an issue it overcomes. But each individual book has a smaller story, a piece of the overall story it deals with, it conquers. closed up by the end. You have questions at the end, usually dealing with the overall story. But you always have answers, even if only small ones. Enough answers to draw you in but not so many you don't want to keep reading. I finished this book with way more questions than answers. In fact I don't think I have any answers. I barely know the characters. Ugh, I would say I am so annoyed that I don't want to finish the series but I know I will because I am a serial reader and if I start a series, I will finish it.

I actually listed to this in my car.  Have never been an audio book person before, but honestly I have been bored with the music, so trying it out for a bit.  Pretty funny. Nothing earth shattering but definitely learned a lot about Tina Fey and her life.

I don't consider myself a foodie by any stretch of the imagination but I love history and I love learning about the everyday items I encounter. This book met and exceeded both of those loves. I was surprised at the eight main flavors she found prevalent in American food. But the more I thought about it and read her histories on the flavors, it made sense. We call this country the melting pot so its only fitting that our food and flavors be a melting pot of flavors most often matched to other countries. I enjoyed the book and had to add it to my "buy" list so I can attempt to be brave and cook some of the amazing sounding recipes sprinkled throughout the chapters.

I read the first Michael Vey book a few years ago.  But I fell back into the universe quite easily.  Look forward to seeing how this series progresses.  Was completely grossed out by the rats.

I must of been living under a rock the day this movie was announced, because I don't remember hearing about it.  And it has a lot of my favorite actors in it.  Anyways, the book was interesting.  It gave a little bit more background on the butler that the movie was based off of.  Looking forward to seeing the moving.

I love love love the Pittacus Lore books.  I have been slowing making my way thought them since the first movie came out.  I don't think the movie did well, which saddens me because I know they probably won't release the other books, and I really enjoy them.

Have you figured out I really like reading series?  This is the next book in the Magnus Chase series.  Seemed a bit more chaotic than the first, but i still enjoyed it.  I do find it strangely poetic that I started and ended the month with books from the same series... that rarely happens for me.

There you have it, my books for the month.  If your keeping tracking I am up to 18 books for the year (my goal is 60).  I have read 5 personal development books (my goal is 25).  Not bad for only 2 months, in my opinion.  Lots of sci-fi/fantasy this month, which I really enjoy.  But I also expanded my horizons to read a science books and a cooking book, two genres I don't really lean towards very often.  

Your turn, what are you reading?

January Reads

Happy February!  Hard to believe we are already one month in to 2018.

Those of you that know me, already know this little tidbit about me, but for those of you that don't know me too well should know one thing about me-  I love to read.  Reading is my lifeline to sanity.   And I am old fashioned.  I like good old fashioned paperbacks, or an occasional hardback.  While I am grateful for technology and how it has made our lives easier, I just can't get behind the E-reader.  It is just not the same.  

First of all, I don't need another device in my life.  I spend all day sitting behind a desk, staring at a computer screen.  And when I am not at work... I am either on my smartphone or watching TV or... you get the point.  So when it comes to my reading time I like to get away from the screen.

Second of all, E-readers don't have the same feel or smell as books do.  And that is part of the appeal.  Have you ever walked into a small bookshop?  Not a mass chain, but a small single owner shop?  The smell of the paper and ink.  And even though I have a texture issue, there is nothing like the feel of a good book.  I pick up a book and I am immediately transferred to a happy place.  Open a book and a lot of the stresses of life just seem to fade away.

Every year I set 2 goals related to reading.  One is an overall reading goal (60 this year), the other is a personal development reading goal (25 this year).  The nice thing about these being my goals is that I can set the standards.  If I read a short 10 page book filled with new essential oil recipes, I can count it.  And I can count it as personal development- because I am learning something.  For me, no matter how small or large the book is, it counts as part of my reading goal, or what age group it is meant for.  And for the personal development goal I count any book that I wouldn't normally pick up just to read to relax.  It can be on any topic.  My goals, my rules.

I think this months books will give you a good idea about just how broad my reading interests are; there is a little bit of everything.

I actually started this book in 2017.  I read the first Dewey book in December of 2016.  If you remember from my previous post, that was when we were going through some medical issues with our own cats.  It was a very rough time for me.  For some reason I picked up a few of these cat and dog story books.  In some ways they helped me.  And they also provided ample time for me to cry, because you know there is always a sad ending to these types of books.  This one was no different.  It was filled with stories of other pets and their owners.  Dewey made an impact on their stories and in this book their stories got shared.  I started it late 2017 but I found that, as opposed to the year before, this year I couldn't read it as it got close to the holidays and the one year mark of our cats illnesses.  It was too hard.  But, I finished it and I highly recommend this book as well as the original Dewey book for anyone who loves animals.

This is a bridge book in the middle of the Lunar Chronicles.  I love the series, great re-tellings of some of your favorite fairy tales.  This book was about the "villain" of the Lunar Chronicles and how she became what she became.  It wasn't as good as the rest of the books in the series, but I still enjoyed it.

I rarely give 5 stars to a book, but I am giving it to this one. The writing of the first few paragraphs was so wonderful I reread them, out loud, to my husband. Just the perfect hook to draw you in. Made you feel like you were about to read an epic classic, not a young adult book. Some of the parts were a little weak and skimmed over with regards to the writing, but still fantastic overall. Definitely made for a young adult audience but still enjoyable for any age. Made me fall in love with some of my favorite Disney characters all over again. Borrowed it from the library (fitting) but will have to get it to add to my own collection. Not sure if there are updated editions of this book.  But if not, there needs to be.  A lot of outdated information and I just wasn't a fan of the guys writing style.  This sat on my desk, at work, for many months and I would pick it up and read bits and pieces here and there.  I got a little out of it, but really I only finished it because I started it and I don't like giving up on a book part way.  Some good useful information, but nothing earth shattering.

Mixed feelings regarding this book. the first half was filled with lots of history and very little story. I liked the history bits but felt like I was missing the story of the Zabinski family. It also felt like it jumped from topic to topic with only a very thin string weaving the bits together. Then the second half felt like suddenly the author was running out of time and had to cram all of the story in. I got to the end feeling like the story somehow zoomed past me. After finishing it I can see how everyone I spoke to about it had such differing opinions. Good overall but I definitely didn't finish feeling satisfied with the story it sought to pass along.

This book first interested me when I saw the preview for the movie.  It sounded like something I would really enjoy.  And I did.  I will say that the movie and book differ quite a bit, but they still have the same story overall.  Sometimes it was hard to know which character's point of view you were reading in the chapter as it tended to jump around.  I am looking forward to the second book.

I originally marked this book as "Want to Read" in 2013. I should of read it then, it was good.  Nicholas Flamel always interests me.  There are so many stories and theories about him out there, I find it very intriguing.  I really enjoyed this book.  Great characters.  I like seeing how different authors portray the different Gods and Goddess they book in their books, each author has their own twist and they rarely disappoint.  Looking forward to book 2.

Well there are my reads for the month of January.  I am at 7/60 for the year and 1/25 for personal development books.  I am already reading some great books for February.  I finally went and got a library card for the area we moved to recently, so lots of options.  Also, finally got to sort through all of my personal books that I had restricted access to for 5 years.  So many great ones I forgot I had.

What are you reading this month?  What books or series should I add to my "Want to read" lists?

Feel free to follow me on GoodReads.  Or Instagram.

One year later...

"Over every mountain there is a path, although it may not be seen from the valley."
-Theodore Rotheke


Today, December 23, is the one year mark from one of the worst months of my life.  Poetically, it was also one of the best months (we went to Disney World, we bought our first home, we moved)

Here is the short version of the story:

In December 2016 three of our four cats got sick.  After lots of testing it was determined they had histoplasmosis.  Histoplasmosis is a fungal infection usually gotten from bird or bat droppings.  It is very rare for indoor only cats to get, and even more rare for multiple cats in a household to get. We still have no idea how they got it.  It is a very aggressive infection.  Prince, our 13 year old, black and white cat was the first to show symptoms.  On December 23 we noticed his breathing was very rapid and ragid.  We took him to urgent care.  Unfortunately, he was too old and we figured it out too late to save him.  We put him to sleep on Christmas Day.  That evening we noticed Jasmine and Fergus were both breathing rapidly.  Back to the Urgent Care we went.  Jasmine was 14, she too was just too old to have a chance.  We put her to sleep on December 30th. Fergus, luckily, came home.  He spent about 3 weeks total in the Urgent Care- he did get to come home for about 2 days in there, but had to go back because his breathing got bad again.  Fergus remained under treatment for another 6.5 months but he survived.  #ferguswins.

If you want the full story, please feel free to check out our GoFundMe page we had set up during the struggle.  www.gofundme.com/fightfergusfight.

What isn't mentioned above is that we closed on our first home December 15th.  We moved December 26th.   Needless to say we were under a lot of stress at the end of December- emotional, mental, physical, financial.

I would like to say that one year later that I have recovered.  That the whole ordeal is just another story of Our Life.  But if I am honest, I haven't.

I still miss my Prince and Jasmine.  Even though they were pets the grief is still real.  It wasn't just about the loss of my beloved pets- though that was hard enough.  It was so much more.  It was the fact that I worked so hard for their entire lives- 13 and 14 years respectively- to give them a better life.  Way before Anna (our new dog) joined our lives. Even before I met Chad, it was the three of us.  I adopted Jasmine just a few months after I had dropped out of college (don't worry I went back) and had moved back home.  The three of us lived in five different places.  Four times I packed them up and went somewhere else.  They were with me through bad breakups, new loves, multiple job changes, college, etc.  Everything.  It was us.  They were the stable part of my life.  I wanted to give them a good life.  I wanted to give them our own place to live.  A home.  They never made it to that place.  One year later, I still feel I failed them.  I failed to give them a stable home.  While I know I gave them a wonderful life, it wasn't the life I planned for them- for us.

It is also the way they went.  I was with them both during their last few moments.  I still, in my heart, believe Prince passed before he received the medicine.  I was looking at his face.  Telling him I loved him and that it was ok- I didn't want him to suffer anymore and he could go.  He meowed one last strangled meow and that was it.  Then out of the corner of my eye I saw the vet push the plunger.  Jasmine wasn't much better.  I told her the same things, the vet pushed the meds, and my girl was gone.  But what a horrible way to go for both of them.  They essentially suffocated.  I have asthma, I have had bad pneumonia multiple times.  I know how horrible it is to not be able to breathe.  And they are animals, they don't understand to the extent we do.

I feel for my husband.  Jasmine became his girl.  After peeing in his leather chair our first day in the duplex- our first residence together- they were inseparable.  There are no words to describe the love, care, concern, hopes, dreams etc. I have for my husband.  He is a truly an amazing, wonderful man.  And I know and saw the bond he had with Jasmine.  It was a glimpse of what I imagine his relationship will be with our children.  And he couldn't be there to say goodbye to her.  It crushed him.  He doesn't talk about it much- men are that way- but it was there.  The ramifications of that event I think are still effecting him and Our Life.

I sit in my very first home and it feels empty.  Lack of furniture aside, it's empty.  Even with the loudness of the dog and cats chasing each other, running around knocking things over.  Something is missing.  Pieces of of Our Life, our family, our hearts are gone.

It's also the financial stress.  The cost of the care was high.  Many people think we are crazy for spending that much on a pet.  But even if I had to go through it again, I would spend as much or even more.  Because if I didn't, I would have lost 3.  If I didn't, I wouldn't have had the little time at the end to say goodbye.  It was worth it.  It makes me angry that 2 didn't survive, but not because of the money, but because they deserved better.  But any expenditure of that magnitude effects you in so many areas.  It limits everything.  While we have gotten to do some fun activities and enjoy date nights out; there were many events we had to pass up.  Our house is empty.  We haven't gotten to do very many projects (and every new house has tons of projects).  We haven't gotten to add any new furniture but what we already have.  For the first 11 months our living room stood empty.  The biggest, most open room in our house, empty.  Currently, their is a big table and a Christmas tree since we are hosting Christmas, but this month has been the exception.  There are very little decorations on the walls.  I can accept that it is what it is, but again I feel like I am failing at being a homemaker.

I am hurting.  My heart still hurts.  All of that is bound to cause emotional effects.  I know my husband is affected; our relationship.  I know my friendships have been affected.  I know my work has been affected.  My faith is affected.  I still believe but I never felt so alone and I don't understand why.  My health is definitely affected-my migraines have increased significantly.  I know it will all pass, but it still annoys me.  Makes me angry.  I don't like chaos, I don't like problems.  My husband would call me a control freak and he probably isn't far off. Things not going well- causes me anger, and stress.  I want to fix it all.  And I just can't.

There is more, I could go on forever about the after effects of their lost.  It is never just a pet.  Never just the loss of a loved one.  It's so much more.

One year later and it still feels like yesterday.

I don't write this to make you feel sorry for me.  To garner sympathy.  I love Our Life.  I love my husband, I love our furkids.  We both have wonderful jobs.  We have fun together and go on fun adventures.  We have amazing families.  I write this because one year later, as I contemplate what has happened the last year, I can't help but realize how much one event changed the course of my life.  For good, for bad, only time will tell.  But I am a different person today, than I was one year ago.

First time homeowners! It was a long journey, but we are home.

Fergus!  For those wondering, he is healthy and infection free.  He enjoys making his new sister's life miserable and makes sure she knows he rules the roost.

Flynn.  Now more than ever, we believe God placed him in our lives for a specific reason- He was our life line during the whole ordeal.  The only furkid to move with us into our new home, at first.  

Anna.  We have only had her a few months but there are no doubts she is meant to be ours.  She just celebrated her first birthday.  She is energetic beyond belief and definitely keeps us all on our toes.