My insanity knows no bounds LOL

This has been a fun few days for me.  My friend and I went and bought a LOT of meat from a local farm here: Hunter Cattle (they offer amazing deals and pet scraps too, and their farm store is adorable, if you're in the area, you've gotta check them out!), so we have enough meat for a month!  I'm all set on milk and eggs too, thanks to my volunteer Life Is Good farm hand side job, lol

I've been busy with preparing our house (and the kids) for our new diet, clearing out the old stuff, rearranging the pantry, going slightly crazily obsessive about jars and labels - I loooooove my new label maker!  Before long, you'll see my puppy run past with "DOG" emblazoned on his side. :)  I'm also researching recipes and testing out some GF foods to see what we think so far.  Nathan doesn't care for the flavor of the basmati rice, but I'm thinking we just need different seasonings.  It's different, it almost tastes like popcorn, but he thinks it tastes like eggs - which he hates.  The chorizo spinach frittata I'm planning to make should be interesting with a child who hates eggs! 

The real evidence that my insanity has no limits, however, is that I've also now decided to start making homemade dog food.  For now they'll be getting a 50/50 kibble/homemade diet, at least until I get the hang of it.  I want to be sure they're getting proper nutrition and hydration, and the healthiest diet possible.  It's really not that difficult, I figure if I'm in the kitchen anyway, why not whip them up something as well? So I've spent a LOT of the past 2 days researching different diets and recipes.  I'm also stocking up on all the yummilicious stuff like livers and kidneys and maybe a heart....mmmmm...  You know you want some. ;-)

Here's the thing, my declaration for this year is healing, renewal, restoration.  I truly believe God gave me those words specifically, and that vision for my life.  For my home, for my family.  I think that should include all members.  Our youngest pet is only a year old and already suffers from chronic joint pain and inflammation.  If my goal is to get us ALL healthy and "off the pharmacy", then I need to take it seriously, right?

Incidentally, an update on the meds thing: I'm already off more than half of what I was taking just to function with fibromyalgia and allergy-related illnesses.  Noah is OFF his ADHD meds completely and is considering giving up his sleeping pill as well (we'll see how that goes, as autism and sleep issues go hand in hand), and my little Nathan (the one I'm mostly doing this for, as he's been so plagued with physical and psychological issues from birth) has already stepped down on his ADHD dosage and we're hopeful that by next month he can go off one of his other psych meds!  I attribute this to the healthy eating and the positivity in our environment. I know we're on the right path and doing what God has for us, and it's making everyone happier and healthier already.  So I'm SUPER excited about what's next.  How much more awesome will it be when we're living gluten-free and making conscious healthy choices EVERYday? 

A note: I do want to say that NONE of this would be possible without support and encouragement from our friends.  We've been SO blessed to have people offer suggestions, advice and even just a little "you go girl!" helps so much when this all starts to get a bit scary.  Nathan often goes to a friend's house after school, and her mom has been amazing about asking what snacks he can have, what to avoid, etc.  People, please understand, YOU can always make a difference, with your words, with your attitude.  You can support and encourage, or you can tear down and sabotage.  Think, then speak with love.  It really does matter.

Now, all that said...HAPPY SUPERBOWL WEEKEND, Y'all!!  This may be just football weekend for you, but for us it's sort of like our own version of Mardi Gras.  Our last chance to "pig out" before we go clean on Monday!  I specifically waited for the 7th, because we are going to a Super Bowl party this weekend and while it all sounds DELISH, none of it is friendly to our new diet.  I may be too busy (or too full) to blog this weekend, but I'll be back Monday for sure to share about DAY ONE!