Sugar Free

Okay so I'm at it again!  I don't know if I'm a glutton for punishment or what, but I'm trying to go sugar-free again.  It's day 3 and I'm dying!!  I did okay the first day, yesterday was a little harder, but today I tell you the cravings are horrible!  I could eat a whole cookie jar full of cookies, but then I'd feel guilty and my knees would ache and I'd be back in the same boat of starting over.  I've been eating good, healthy stuff - mostly fruits, veggies, meats and nuts.  But come afternoon around NOW, I get hit with cravings for sugary stuff.  Hopefully it won't last too long, because if I have another day like today I think I may just cave.

So a few months ago a lady in our area gave me some guidelines to follow - okay it was a strict diet.  My question is, who makes these things up?  I mean for a liver cleanse it says to eat only veggies (no corn), meat (no red or pork), nuts (no peanuts, those come at level 3), and I can have almond milk for 2 weeks.  Does this really cleanse your liver?  What if I only went on it for a week and then moved to the next step which is adding fruit?  Would that be bad?  It just makes me wonder how they know that this will really cleanse my liver and help me get off sugar?  Have they done studies?  If so where are they, I'd like to read them.

Anyway, this is my dilemma.  I really wonder if this will really work.  I know I need to eat healthy and get off so much sugar, but to what extent?  Do I miss out now on family dinners and birthday parties?  Is this really worth it?  I want to be healthy, but I also want to be normal (as normal as a person can be that has celiac).  I want to enjoy family gatherings as much as the next person.  So I ask you, what is a person to do?  Do I follow the diet or do I fudge just a smidge here and there?  Is that even healthy?  It's a conundrum! 

My Oh My

Goodness gracious!! I tell you it has been a frantic couple of weeks.  I finally got my mlo license and started working and I forgot what it's like to do that full-time.  With the economy going south and interest rates dropping like a rock we have been totally overloaded, and I love it!  I thought I'd like it when I began, but I so love doing this.  It's alot of fun.  And, I've been blessed with a sweet daughter that is so willing to help around the house.  So it didn't even go to the dogs while I've been working.  As time goes by I hope I can get better organized so that I have some more time to spend with my family and not so much time in front  of the computer screen and reading files.  But until then I know I have help and that's a wonderful feeling.

So my sweet daughter that has been helping around the house had another accident this week.  She has started soccer at the High School.  She's the varsity girl's soccer goalie and loves every minute of it.  At her game on Tuesday night she had defended against a PK (Penalty Kick) and had done a good job.  She was then diving for the rebound when a player on the opposing team kicked her in the head.  She was kicked on the same side where she had a concussion with 5 small bleeds last year.  Needless to say, she was knocked out for a minute and we were a bit worried. I took her to the doctor today and he said she can begin playing again on the 30th of this month.  He wanted to make sure that she didn't play for at least 2 weeks.  I've also ordered her soccer head gear.  Hopefully this will help ensure that something like this won't happen again, or at least if it does that it won't cause further head trauma.  We feel blessed that it wasn't worse that it was. 

So that is how my last few weeks have been spent.  I will try and blog more often so that at least I have a record of how my life is flying by!!

A Day of Reflection

This week has been a blessed week.  I've had the chance of passing my test so that i can begin work.  I was able to see all of my children but the one that lives in AZ (and I talked to him several times on the phone).  I got to hold my granddaughter and tell her how much I love her.  I was able to sew and be a bit creative.  I've been able to take time a read a book.  I was blessed to go on a date with my husband to the Temple on Saturday morning.  We were able to visit my in-laws.  I visited my parents.  I ate pizza (which for a celiac isn't very often) it was gluten-free.  I had time to visit with neighbors and friends and as I thought on all of these things that I was able to do, I feel blessed.  I've loved this week!

Tests and Blessings

For the past few months I have been studying and studying and studying as well as taking tests and taking more tests.  It has been a hard thing, but today I passed my final test for my Mortgage Loan Originator license.  I am so delighted it is over.  Once you take a test and fail, you have to wait a whole month before you can even sign up to take the test again.  The waiting is a killer and the test is not easy!  It took a whole lot of praying and studying to get this far, but I'm excited.  Such a burden has been lifted off my shoulders.  I feel very blessed today!

So now I can move forward in one of the things that I want to do with my life.  I am going to work for my neighbor at Summit Lending Associates as a loan processor.  I'm excited to be looking at working again.  I've missed the sense of purpose it gives me.  And with my children (all but one and she'll be going next year) gone, I feel like I can still accomplish so much.    I want to contribute to the community and I feel like this is one way I can do that, by helping others.  So today I am blessed in this way and hope to be a blessing to others in return.

I'm so Happy and Excited!!  It's a beautiful day, life is good!!