Shannon Yee

Being on vacation and with family away from home for several weeks in the past two months has been exhausting. It has also been more fun than I can express, but apparently I am truly an introvert and refresh by being alone. I have always known this, but often doubt because I love hanging out with my family and close friends so much.

Having two little ones who are not living according to the “normal” routine and being with people all the time was an adventure – tiring and fabulous all in one.

I am very thankful to be home and getting settled back into whatever normal is. I just wish it didn’t involve so much laundry, dishes, and whining (from me or the kids!)…

A few weeks ago, I started to feel like I needed to be sure that I was getting enough of all the nutrients and that I should probably find a good multi-vitamin to take. After several months without dairy and eating what seemed like an awful lot of chips, I was really wondering if I was not getting all of what I needed. And, I’d been wanting to start Josiah and I on probiotics (I got Genestra) since we’ve not been eating yogurt or kefir as well as take some fish oil, which I’ve heard is really good for those with skin problems. So, I went to my local health food store and asked the friendly staff who recommended Her Daily Vitamin.

I must have been really low in my B-vitamins, because after just a few days I was full of energy and felt like a whole new woman. I could tell a huge difference and was loving the results. Now, after several weeks, I’m back to my normal self. I feel pretty good most days, but other days I’m really dragging. I think that the vitamins are worth taking and I’m continuing even though they cost a ton… When they run out, I’ll probably see if I can find a cheap, but good-quality whole-food vitamin – do those exist?

My kids don’t really like the fish oil, but they love the mango-flavored liquid multi-vitamin that I got for them. I’ve been mixing Josiah’s probiotic and fish oil and vitamin all in his orange juice and he doesn’t notice it at all. Eila drinks plenty of kefir and just takes the fish oil (with many protests) and vitamin (begging for more) straight. I’m glad I’ve started to do the probiotics especially with Josiah, but I wonder if (well, realize and know that) we should see a nutritionist or dietitian. I’m open to suggestions.

Sally tagged me forever ago, and I’m finally doing it. It has been a busy summer, and I’m loving it.

Each of these questions is to be answered with one word only! Here’s mine:

1. Where is your cell phone? unknown
2. Your significant other? computer
4. Your mother? warrior
5. Your father? lost
6. Your favorite thing? sleep
7. Your dream last night? none
8 Your favorite drink? water
9. Your dream/goal? missions
10. The room you’re in? play
11. Your hobby? reading
12. Your fear? failure
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? blessed
14. What you’re not? calm
15. Muffins? dairy?
16. One of your wish list items? vacation
17. Where you grew up? Livonia
18. The last thing you did? read
19. What are you wearing? skirt
20. Favorite gadget? computer
21. Your pets? none
22. Your computer? overused
23. Your mood? tired
24. Missing someone? lots
25. Your car? dirty
26. Something you’re not wearing? socks
27. Favorite store? Target
28. Like someone? sure
29. Your favorite color? purple
30. When is the last time you laughed? kids
31. Last time you cried? movie

I’m tagging Jessica and the Baughmans.

The chef is having technical difficulties, so Texas Tanya provided today’s feast. Enjoy!

Appetizer
When was the last time you had some bar-b-que?
Real BBQ – it’s been a long time, maybe since the spring… Grilled food, though, I had about a week ago.

Soup
How many pairs of cowboy boots do you own?
Not a single one. My Texan roots aren’t showing very strong, are they?

Salad
Finish this sentence: Mommas, don’t let your babies __________.
Mommas, don’t let your babies play in the street.

Main Course
Name a song that makes you think of Texas.
The Yellow Rose of Texas.

Dessert
Cowboy hats – Black or White?
I didn’t realize these were the main choices in cowboys hats. I guess I’ll choose white because it’s hot in Texas and that will reflect the light rather than absorb it all.

After about 2 months of staying clear of all milk proteins and even adding a slight avoidance of eggs for the past week, Josiah seems to be all cleared up and we’ve all adjusted pretty well to the change. Eila knows that her brother cannot have ice cream, cheetos, or goldfish and won’t share them with him even if he says “peas”. Josiah doesn’t seem to understand that he can’t have cheetos or ranch or cheese sticks, but loves the Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese and so do I. I also really like the Earth Balance vegan buttery spread. I don’t like Rice Dream – it does not taste like any kind of ice cream I’d eat!

I’ve learned a lot about the things that go into food and that eating at a restaurant or another person’s house is a real pain with a food allergy. I always feel like we’re imposing and being difficult, even when I bring own our food – of course, then I just feel like I’m being ungrateful and rude, but really I’m just trying to do what is best for Josiah.

It is hard and last week, I really wanted to quit, but he has had a couple of times where he had some of Eila’s dairy-full food and then had some sort of adverse reaction, so it seems to me that the sacrifices and inconvenience are worth the health and well-being of my little boy. It could be so much worse… he could need to stay away from dairy, eggs, gluten, and soy – and then we’d only be able to eat fruits and veggies, which might be healthy, but hard since it seems like Josiah is a strict carnivore, unless ketchup counts as a vegetable.

Appetizer
When was the last time you had your hair cut/trimmed?
I think it was in April, but it could’ve been at Christmas. I have long hair and don’t need much in the way of cutting to keep it that way.

Soup
Name one thing you miss about being a child.
Not minding cold water or cold weather and playing in them until forced to stop.

Salad
Pick one: butter, margarine, olive oil.
Normally, I’d choose butter, but in my dairy-free world that is off limits so I’ll have to go with olive oil.

Main Course
If you could learn another language, which one would you pick, and why?
Mandarin Chinese, because it would enable me to communicate with the most people and expand my phonetic vocabulary the most.

Dessert
Finish this sentence: In 5 years I expect to be…
a little bit wiser.

After a week of no TV or computers and a weekend in the great outdoors camping, I’ve more than made up for it by catching up on the various blogs that I enjoy and emails as well as some stuff for MOPS. It seems like there is no end to the amount of time that I can spend on the internet.

I enjoyed taking time last week to enjoy my family and not “trying to get things done” while I could be relating to them in various ways. We took a walk as a family after dinner as well as played trains and princesses a whole lot. I want to be intentional to continue to enjoy the people more than the things around me. That can be a little challenging when my hubby is on the computer, but that is a good time for me to read a book – especially since my list of books I want to read is always growing. On that note, I’m off to read and sleep.

So, this week Pastor Fred preached on Romans 12:1-2 “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

He challenged us to take this week to spend our time and energy in conversation with God – listening & talking (ie. reading the Bible, being still before God, praying) rather than watching television or being online. So, I’ve accepted the challenge, and therefore will not be conforming to the pattern of this world, at least for this week and will be offline. I hope you will enjoy your week and will spend a little extra time reading God’s Word and allowing Him to transform your life and renew your mind!

This is the kind of faith that just accepts things because without really needing lots of intellectual reasoning or good logic or tangible proofs – or so they say.

My child does not have this kind of faith. She often tells me that God is not here and can’t help us because she can’t see him. Eyes peering all around, she cannot find him anywhere, so he can’t be here with us.

Yet, she is currently laying her bed singing “Father, I adore you and I lay my life before you. How I love you.” It is a beautiful, calm, soothing song that we often sing before bed, so just a lullaby…

This is something that I really struggle with in parenting (along with so many other things): wanting to control how my kids turn out. I know in my head that the choices they will make as they get older will definitely be influenced by Brian and I, but we really have little say in how they will ultimately live their lives. I struggle with not making one of my main goals in parenting to raise kids that love God. I can live as an example, but I cannot make it a goal for them to feel a certain way… Instead, one of my goals is for them to know God’s love for them. Although, I pray that both of these things will take place in their lives!

The verses that I pray over them regularly are: Philippians 1:9-11 9And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. and Ephesians 3:16-19 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

(The Ephesians passage is also part of the theme of Adventures in Mothering for MOPS for this coming year, which I am really excited about. And as a side note, if you are free on Friday mornings this fall/winter, we’d love for you to join our group if you are pregnant or have a child who is in Kindergarten or younger or as a MOPPETS worker with the kids!)

Thanks to my friend Cheryl, I started reading Angie’s blog, about the pregnancy and loss of their baby girl, Bring the Rain and loving the song by Mercy Me of the same name. This summer the Bible study that has been selected is about suffering. I have so many things to be thankful for and cannot think of anything at all to complain or even want. Yet, with this great season of plenty and joy, I can’t help but wonder what is around the bend. Whatever it is, I know that I serve a great God who loves me and will provide no matter what happens, but still I wonder and hope that it’s just the pessimist in me that is even questioning.