Oh How We Miss Our Dairy!!!

Some of you may know that our dear Jasmine has been blessed with raging ADHD. This was discovered halfway into her second grade year when she still couldn't read and had behavior problems up the wazoo. As parents we were just taking it one day at a time, because hey, it's your kid. We had finally had enough when we realized just how much it was taking its toll on Jaz. She was distraught with what was happening in her life. She had no internal control over her actions and absolutely no focus. This was the beginning of a life on medication.

Jasmine had been taking 2 pills a day to help control herself. Let me tell you what a lifesaver they were. She quickly learned to read and then quickly became one of the top readers in her class. We went from huge behavior problems to none at all. And all of this made her feel successful and was a huge self esteem boost.

Well as Jazzy grew the meds didn't have quite the same effect. Soon she was on three pills and just a few months ago they bumped us up to four pills a day. The problem is that even with four pills it just isn't working that great anymore. I was fine with her taking meds as long as I could see that it was making her life easier, but I am not okay with it once I see they aren't working.

I talked with several friends from church and about ways to naturally help Jazzy with her issues. John and I looked for days and days over things that I had found on the Internet. This is the list of the changes we have made:

• We cut dairy completely out of our diet - this means vegan "cheese" and margarine spread, tofu sour cream, rice milk, and non-dairy "ice cream" ~ this has all been very interesting!


• New supplements for everyone but Trin - Cod liver oil with A & D, high dose of vitamin C, Super Nuthera (which is an extra strength B complex) and calcium magnesium.


• Jazzy can't be cut cold turkey from her pills so we are down to 2 pills first thing in the morning and next month she will be down to one pill and so on.

One of the people we spoke with was a homeopathic doctor, so don't worry that we are shoving our kids full of vitamins. We have the correct amount of dosage for each of them.

The results......WOW!!! Because most of the supplements we take are liquid we have noticed a dramatic change in a short amount of time. I can't even explain through words how different things are. First and foremost Jazzy is a totally different person ~ rather she is under control without all of the prescription pills. No more crazy extreme mood swings, still totally focused and she has been amazingly loving and kind. Most of all she is happy once again.

John and I have also noticed a difference in our own moods with being on this new regime. It's crazy what some changes can do.

Although it has been difficult ~ We all LOVE dairy, we have found ways to make do with the changes. All in all it is worth it!!

This is our new favorite ice cream. And the great thing is that our close friends are the producers of the cookie dough (gluten and dairy free) that go into this ice cream.

Melissa's Graduation

I graduated May 17th, which was several months ago, but I have had so many people ask me lately about it that I thought it would be easiest to post about it.

I started my long journey four years ago. My sister and I decided to both go back to school together. We have this great picture of the two of us on the first day of school with our backpacks on ~ nice and nostalgic! Two years at the community college prepared me to move on to Pacific University to get my degree in elementary education. My time at Pacific was an amazing experience. I gained some wonderful friends and the program really helped me look inside myself and to become the type of teacher that I wanted to be.

Student teaching was increadible! And before I knew it graduation was here. The ceremony was held in Forest Grove (about two hours north of Springfield) where Pacific's main campus is. It was a great weekend! All of my family was together and there to support me. And we spent the entire weekend together, which is always a blast!

I graduated with honors ~ summa cum laude ~ which means that my grade point average was over a 3.91 (mine was 3.96 ~ so close to a 4.0!). The ceremony was short and sweet and after that we headed off to an amazing lunch. My brother and his girlfriend Erin live in Portland and Erin planned this great party for after my graduation. We went the the Hall St. Grill which served amazing food, she had bought a cake from the Beaverton Bakery ( I don't think I had ever tasted anything so delicious!) and then decorated with gorgeous flowers. They went all out!

So here we are, almost at the start of the new school year. Do I have a job?? Sadly the answer is no, but I am fine with that. The Eugene/Springfield area is a really hard area to get a job. Schools can get up to 200 applicants per open position. I am actually excited to be subbing. I can work when I want to, the day is already planned out for me, and at four o'clock I leave for home to enjoy my family. Don't get me wrong...I will be great when I have my own classroom, but subbing will allow me to see so many different environments and work with different teaching strategies. It will also give me a year of experience under my belt ~

Here are a few pictures from my graduation weekend. *Disclaimer* There were tons of people taking pictures so often times we are looking at different places ~ sorry!

My parents Roger & Lynn ~ a huge thanks to them!! They were the ones that watched my kids a couple nights each week and every other Saturday for almost two years. And not just that, but all of the times when I thought I would pull my hair out ~ they took the kids so I could study.

Jason & Erin ~ Thanks for the great graduation party!

My sister Amy, my B-I-L Robert & my nephew Brody. A big thanks to their family who also helped me out with the kids during my crazy four years!
My dad Rick and his girlfriend Kelly

All of my mom's kids minus Ashley who was hanging out at my brother's place with our babysitter Tess. Tess (Ashley's friend) and Ash kept Hunter, Morgan and Trin for us. Thanks guys!

The Gang ~ Back Row: Pa, Robert, Brody, Amy Jason, Zack, Me, Mom, Roger, John.

Front Row: Grams, Erin, Kelly, Dad, Jazzy

The only time we may see Zack with honor cords :)

Flowers and Cake at the Hall St. Grill

Jasmine

Our sweet Jasmine... This is the one that makes me feel really old! Jasmine is going into the fifth grade this year!! Next year she will be in middle school. I can't believe how quickly time passess. It seems as if it was just yesterday when she was born. She is very excited to start school this year. We have already gotten schools supplies and a few new outfits. And everytime we drive by the school (which is on the way to grandma Lynn's house) we have to slow down to see if the class lists are posted.

Jazzy has been my lifesaver this summer. She loves to hold and play with Brody, which enables me to get stuff done around the house. She is such a willing helper. Just last night I was trying to get things picked up around the house - which was a disaster! It was hot and I was cranky. Jazzy comes up to me and asks if she can give Trin her bath. So in go Trin and Jaz into the bathroom where Jaz bathes her, drys her hair, gets her in pj's, reads her two books and then tucks her into bed. WOW!! She is also the "cool" older person that willingly plays with the little girls. She creates such great games and imaginary stuff for them to do. Trin and Morgan love to be around her.

A day at Dorena Lake. I think Jasmine went into the water around 11:00 a.m. and didn't emerge until around 8:30 pm. She is a total waterbaby!

Her tenth birthday ~ our annual party celebration for her is held at Shoji's. This is her favorite place to go because they cook all the food in front of you and her along with her father and brother eat mad amounts of sushi!

A day at Oakway Park ~ a very cool park with sand and water. The kids love the idea of wearing their bathing suits to play.

Picking mad amounts of strawberries at Lone Pine Farm. She went on to help me make 4o quarts of strawberry freezer jam.

Sweet Jasmine!

Getting ready for camping

John and I are frantically getting ready for camping today. We have totally procrastinated for this trip. With John working long days and doing homework, and I am home with five kids (of course the fact that I bought Breaking Dawn at midnight on Friday didn't help any either!) we have not gotten near as much together as I would have liked.

So here it is Wed. morning, I am only about half packed and we are leaving around 6 tonight. We are going to spend the next 4 days with our family at my dad's property over in La Pine. My brother Jason and his girlfriend Erin are coming from Portland. Then my sister Amy and her family, my mom and step-dad and then my dad and his girlfriend as well as our family ~ all getting together to camp. I am looking forward to some much needed R & R!!

My dad's property is 20 acres, but it doesn't have electricity or any kind of plumbing ~ so we are roughing it in some ways. The nice part is that the property is part of a gated community and they have a rec center that has a nice pool, shower and flushing toilet - yay!!

Trinity is so excited for the trip ~ we had just pulled into the driveway from shopping last night ~ she unbuckles her seat belt, gets right up in my face and tells me "Oh mom, we are going to have such and adventure camping!" If she only knew!!

Here are a few fun pictures that I took of Trin and Morgan (my niece) this morning as I was getting ready for the trip.

Nummy doughnuts for breakfast ~ what a treat!

Watching some cartoons in their "cars"

Cheese!!

And of course Roxy, doing what Roxy does best!

See ya when we get back!

Leave it to my Brother...

So a few weeks ago we had a garage sale. Now I am not a huge fan of garage sales, but I am so sick of storing "stuff" that I had finally had it! Luckily I was able to get my mom and my sister on board because the more "stuff" the better the sale. We did the sale on a Friday and Saturday. At the heat of the day on Saturday my brother Zachary decided to mess around with some of the stuff that we were selling. My brother-in-law Robert was selling his snowboarding boots, helmet & goggles. John had a snowboard and a snowsuit that we had picked up somewhere for when Jazzy grew into it. Now, keep in mind that my brother Zachary will be fifteen this month ~ that should say it all!!






So, my family can never go without giving Zack a dare. So, in 90 degree weather John dares Zachary to walk like that down to the little market that is 3 blocks away and purchase a Popsicle. He has to carry the snowboard with him and no one is allowed to comment on his attire.





We sent Hunter along on his bike with Zack to make sure that it all worked like it was supposed to. Of course Zack took the dare and off he went.



Not long after he comes running back down our street, Popsicles in hand. By the time he got to the house he was pretty sure that he was dying of heat exhaustion. I can't remember the last time we all laughed so hard!! Way to go Zack for never letting us down!