ADHD

I have been on Ridalin and Adderall both with end of the day side effects that are typical of taking the medication... the day is great and then as the medication wears off the end of the day... is terrible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I started a ketogenic diet in February and have been feeling alot better mentally, brain fog, and concentration. I tried to take the medication spuraticlly after a few months of wonderful effects (I hate the though of being addicted to the medication) and changed to Adderall at the beginning of the year to help with side effects... since I was feeling better I started weaning myself off of the adderall... at first I was feeling soooooo tired... it's hard to even know how I was feeling because it's hard to focus. but it's been a few weeks now and 2 weeks with ZERO Aderall and I can see how I'm going to be ok... it's not perfect but no "medication type side effects" it's nice to be able to focus and blast through my day... but I'm feeling better than I was before i began the medication and I'm hopeful, that, without the medication in my system, that with the new changed I will be able to better feel the positive benefits (if there are any) and attribute them to the new changes)

It would be hard to deal with side effects and move forward with new treatment at the same time!!

Dr. Jensen and Kristin(Tyroid Doctor) "my team" as both told me that as I begin these protocals and nutritional changes that I will begin feeling the " side effects" that are associated with my medications. That will be how I will know that my body is beginning to work for it's self and will no longer need the medications as currently prescribed. 

I'm glad that I have one less medication to worry about and feeling positive about the changes in the future!!!!!!!

learning more and finding doctors

As I stated in my last post... I had a big fasting and praying revelation: I found two new doctors...
I didn't know what to look for, but I was insipred to do a search on podcast for thyroid  and ended up chooing a podcast from a lady who does thyroid therapy in Colorado... When I heard her talk I felt I needed to connect with her. I felt good about her and talking with her confirmed that.. in 30 minutes of talking she felt my end to these medication would come in as little as 6 months to a year or 2, and then she felt we could heal my body...

this was awesome.

learning about taking medication is terrible. Our body builds us immunity and soon we slowly have to increase.. I had already had to do this with my Zoloft and didn't like that fact... but I did like the results... but...
I still wasn't me, I knew deep inside that I can be more, I can get to the place what I know that God needs me to be!!
I know that I can be a better person not just for myself, but for my family, community and world.

at this point I am pretty much useless when it comes to working at my kids school, or serving in church, or serving in the community. It's crazy I used to be able to do practically anything... I have learned that to function at my best level now it's best if I do as little as possible... HELLO that is totally NOT me!! But It's a survival mode that is helping me be my best self right now and I have made it to this point as well as I can doing only what I feel absolutely inspired to do... not what I THINK to do, not what is asked of me... but literally what I feel god is compelling me to do. If I do more than that I go to full on combustion mode... If I do that without his help, It yields almost the same results....

SOOOOO
Here I am learning that ... as I thought...
EVERYTHING in my body is connected...
there is help
there is an end to it
this journey is one many have traveled
my journey looks so similar to others (that was a huge comfort to me for some reason after feeling alone)
there was more to the story than i thought


And so I am in the same day I find this thyroid doctor, Lead to find another doctor, A "functional medicine doctor"

in 5 minutes of talking to me he proposes 2 new things I have never even heard of: he says you show 11 of the signs of undermethylation and Pyyrole Disease typically I test if I see 5 of the sympotoms... he talks to me and int he end he says" I'm almost sure you have undermethylation, there is overmethylation which is slightly similar but very uncommon. you also are almost for sure dealing with Pyyrole disorder. I'll run some tests because we won't know for sure without blood work."



fast forward 2 weeks and the tests come back." well I didn't expect this, you are one of those special people that is Overmethylated, this is so great. the treatment for this is so simple..."

i'm thinking what in the heck... "so great"? lol

he goes on " your other levels look like you also have pyyrole dissorder, it's treatment is safeenough that we can have you start the protocol and see how you feel. I didn't run the specific test because it's so expensive, but your levels of zinc etc show a high likely hood of this..."

so with a few supplaments I'll be starting in the next week, "my team" thats what I"m calling them together :)  thinks I will be able to start noticing big differences in a week or two... WHATTTTTTT thats crazy!!!

Overmethylation (Histapenia): Too much methyl (a carbon group with three hydrogen atoms). It is very active in the brain, and too much leads to “too much of a good thing.” This causes an overproduction of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine in the brain.  In many cases, high serotonin levels can cause psychological problems including reduced motivation, reduced libido, weight gain, and confusion.

Overmethylation Symptoms

Below is a list of possible symptoms that you may experience during overmethylation. Understand that overmethylation will not necessarily cause every single symptom on the list and that severity of each symptom is highly subject to individual variation.

• ADHD: Those who are overmethylators may have attention deficits and may have been previously diagnosed with ADHD.
• Anxiety: In some cases, the overmethylation can lead to increased levels of anxiety and susceptibility to panic attacks.
• Artistic: Some sources have suggested a link between artistic and musical pursuits and overmethylation. Whether this is accurate is subject to debate.
• Depression: Those with overmethylation may become depressed as a result of high levels of serotonin, lack of motivation, and accomplishment.
• Dry skin: It has also been speculated that in those who are overmethylated tend to be more susceptible to bouts of dry skin.
• Food sensitivities: If you are an overmethylator, you may notice that you are highly sensitive to certain foods and/or chemicals.
• Frustration: Another sign among overmethylators is rampant frustration or becoming easily frustrated in seemingly benign situations.
• High pain threshold: Unlike those who are poor methylators, overmethylation is associated with a higher pain tolerance.
• Low libido: Another symptom of overmethylation is that of a decreased sex drive. They may be considerably less interested in sex than average.
• Low motivation: The general tendency among overmethylators is that of deficient achievement in workplace or competitive settings. This is often a direct result of the motivational deficit that may be a byproduct of overmethylation. This is something that I have been experiancing recenlty that is POLAR oposite of how I have opperated growing up
• Nervousness: This ties into the generalized anxiety that a person may experience as a result of the overmethylation.
• Obsessions: Some have suggested that individuals with overmethylation may demonstrate clear obsessions, but they aren’t usually accompanied by compulsions.
• Overweight: Those who are overmethylated may be more likely to pack on weight in part due to motivational deficits and depression.
• Paranoia: Among those who are strongly affected by overmethylation, paranoid thoughts, and possibly auditory hallucinations may emerge.
• Restless legs: Another possible symptom that you may experience if you’re dealing with too much methylation is restless legs.This is just beginning
• Self-imposed isolation: Those who isolate themselves from others may do so in part as a result of depression and or anxiety from overmethylation.
• Self-harm: Researchers believe that among those who commit acts of self-harm and mutilation, overmethylation tends to occur.
• Sleep disorders: Those with sleep problems may be more likely to have overmethylation.

This was sooo crazy to read through it! It hit so many places SPOT on! I had been reading the undermethylation and thought I could have that because I hit so many markers there... I don't think that you can switch because from what I read methylation is a DNA connection and not changable but treatable with the right nutirents that you are deficient in, possibly I had the correct or higher nutrient levels in the past???? I'm not sure

Here are my Under methylation discoveries...

Undermethylation Symptoms

Keep in mind that if you are suffering from undermethylation, you may not experience every symptom on this list. There are different genetic polymorphisms of the MTHFR gene as well as other factors that may dictate your experience. Below is a collective list of symptoms that people with undermethylation tend to exhibit.

• Addictions: Those who are considered undermethylators may be more likely to battle addictions and/or have addictive personalities.
• Competitive: It is believed that many undermethylators are extremely competitive in sports, business, and other facets of life. Competition is a notable signal that a person may not have a sufficient methylation process.Always since borth till recently... 
• Concentrative endurance: Some individuals who are suffering from undermethylation may have a difficult time maintaining focus for prolonged periods of time. In other words, their concentration ability may wane quicker than average.Growing up I coldn't even read a book cover to cover, it's only been in my adult hood during difficult times I have been able to read certain books, making it difficult to remmeber what I read or read scriptures for more than a few verses, reading outloud or listening to books on tape helped
• Delusions: Certain individuals that fall into the undermethylation diagnosis may experience delusions or beliefs that aren’t based in reality. While these generally are not severe, then can interfere with the accuracy of a person’s perception of reality.
• Headaches: Some researchers believe that undermethylation may cause physical symptoms such as headaches.
• High achievement: One characteristic (rather than symptom) of people with low levels of methylation is that of accomplishment and achievement. Many individuals considered top athletes, CEOs, and professionals may be fueled in part by undermethylation.
• High libido: A person may be highly interested in sex and/or have a higher than average “drive” compared to others.
• Obsessive compulsive: Undermethylation may provoke symptoms of OCD or other obsessive tendencies. In fact, someone may actually get diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder as a result of their methylation deficiency.
• Oppositional defiance: Another common finding is that those displaying signs of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) tend to also have undermethylation. While this isn’t a very common diagnosis, it is thought to be related to undermethylation.
• Inner tension: While a person who is an undermethylator may appear to exhibit a calm demeanor, they may be filled with inner tension.
• Low pain tolerance: Individuals with undermethylation tend to have a poor tolerance to any sort of pain.
• Perfectionism: Another trait of undermethylators is that of perfectionism. They aren’t satisfied unless tasks are completed in accordance to their specific methodology. They may be intolerant to less-than-perfect outcomes.
• Phobias: Certain phobias or irrational fears may be caused in part by undermethylation.
• Ritualistic behavior: Those who are undermethylated may engaged in ritualistic behavior with rigid schedules. They may have specific daily rituals to which they must adhere.
• Seasonal allergies: It has also been suggested that allergies may be stronger among undermethylators, particularly during seasonal transitions. This may be related to naturally elevated levels of histamine, leading to more pronounced reactions.
• Self-motivated: A person who is undermethylated may be highly self-motivated in both school and work functions. They may not need any outside inspiration or encouragement to complete their work, they are fuelled internally by themselves.
• Social isolation: Some individuals with undermethylation may isolate themselves from others and prefer to be left alone, especially during the completion of work.
• Strong willed: Another characteristic that is found among those who are undermethylated is that of a strong will.

 Seeing so many checkmark I was sure I would fall where he thought that I would, but then learning about overmethylation I can see where It was spot on almost to a T the exact discription... I do believe that under methylation is somehow connected and these are all hereditary so I am excited to see where this discovery leads.

I am so excited to see how my small vitamin supplements may improve my symptoms, I'm trying not to be skeptical... it's hard though... but I've been very prayerful so I'm hoping that I am on the right track....

Doctors and diagnosis

So I prayed and fasted and in all honesty got really frustrated and sad and mad... But Prayed harder.
I asked for guidance and courage... because it's not easy to go against what "everyone" thinks is the way things should be... it's not easy to be far removed from what "everything" thinks is normal... but then I have had to realized that what everyone thinks is "normal" is often far from where I want to be in life... I haven't conneected that to what I eat and what I am as much as I have with worldly things like, what I say, how I dress, what I do and what I see/read/watch... why should it be any different for what I take into my body?

I am realizing once again that It's ok to be different, there is no ONE way things should be, there is no one way things have to look ... and thats ok!!

I found after a weekend of fasting and praying TWO new people to bring into my life... both I thought would help with Thyroid issues but both have helped in many more ways... I will admit that HELP often looks and feels different than what I would think... at first you think of HELP as someone "helping" you carry in the grocery's ... like your load will be easier to carry... But it's more like someone Helping you travel through a maze while you are blind folded... it's going to be hard! It's going to feel scary and unsafe and dangerous even, unless you fully trust the people leading you...
So I have put my faith in God, and I know he will lead me. But Honestly I also have prayed for years for guidance and direction, and haven't really been lead to a solution. I have had to pray for the strength to endure many times.

I feel really good about the direction that I am going.
In a short conversation with my new thyroid therapist she said we will work on your thyroid and we will be able to get you off one medication pretty quickly and off your Depression and Anxiety meds in no time... what?

I didn't connect the dots enough, but as I am learning everything that I have been feeling is likely connected... untill I work through it all I won't know for 100% but she dosen't seem to be worried at all!!
That was eye opening!! Like amazing!
When I went to my endocronologist she looked at the list of medications that I was on and said:
 " So your have a doctor that is helping you with these, are they providing any relief?"
me" yes they are, it was night and day after I got on the right dosage"
she: "  they why are you here?"
me.... blank stare
"I don't want to be on all these medications... I feel they are connected, and want to have my thyroid tested to rule that out... I have been tested in the past and my primary doctors (4 different doctors) tell me that everything looks normal, but all the symptoms are there."

She "Ok we will test, and see how things are going"

she calls after blood tests puts me on synthroid and blood tests 6 weeks later show an improvement and she tells me I have hasimotos, she increades my medication 3 times and add T3 medication.

I ask her at the beginning of the year if we can get these to the point that I can go off of some of my other medications she says:
"no, you need to stay on those, this won't effect those..."

RED FLAG

I have learned so much between my first appointment and diagnosis, and this point to learn that these things are so closely connected that all my intuition is telling me to run...but i have no where to go... no one else has been able to help me till now... but I have diagnosis & medication but no increased help..

so the research continues!!!!!!!!

podcasts

These podcasts have helped me SOOOOOOOO much, to wrap myhead around food, what it does for our body and what the HECK "healthy" mean to me!

I will admit that when I began this journey I simply  wanted to lose weight without going to some drastic measures like take shape for life… Which is all fake food. I don’t have before I’d lost weight it worked for me but that’s not what I wanted for myself and that’s not what I felt like was a good example for my kids and especially for my daughter. I wanted to end the perpetual dieting and just get to a place where I felt healthy and good .

 The only reason they entertain the idea of doing “keto“ was because of the hype around it helping people with thyroid issues. I never dreamed that people healed her thyroid depression lost weight got pregnant and a whole slew of other things just by changing the food that they are...  I was intrigued to say the least, my mind is literally blown listening to each informative podcast. From people with personal experiences to doctors it was the first time I had heard people from all different situations experiencing the same results and they weren’t trying to sell something...

 Of course every product out there will have a ton of people saying this works it’s amazing but all the people I was listening to or just talking about chicken and bacon and spinach and raspberries and blueberries and broccoli and cauliflower and asparagus… They were just talking about real food not real food in a special capsules with the secret ingredient or some special plans that you need a certain product in order to accomplish.


 I will probably elaborate on these podcasts at a later time but here is a list of some of my favorites.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/better-than-happy/id1021836339?mt=2&i=1000412727545


https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-keto-diet-podcast/id1059573987?mt=2&i=1000379715109





The Keto dr! Excellent podcast from an actual doctor, he’s young and open minded.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/keto-answers-podcast-low-carb-lifestyle-ketogenic-diet/id1341848099?mt=2&i=1000410262004

The Fat burning man!! Easy to listen to!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/fat-burning-man-show-by-abel-james-future-health-performance/id501575043?mt=2

These are just 4 of the many many podcasts out there!! But these were a great way to get started on a healing journey!!

The start of the beginning or the middle of the beginning...

Two weeks ago I started this post "Today starts a day full of excitement and energy for Life. A prospect of a Healthy family that can tackle any health challenge that may come. With faith in our amazing body's God has given us and the great information and resources that are occurring everyday...." This isn't anything grand, but I logged in this morning, and was surprised to see that I had already logged in this month. It's been a very long time since I posted anything. I clicked on the beginning of the post and was surprised to see that I had sat down for the very same reason today that I did 2 weeks ago... to begin charting my journey. It's sad how my brain is working and I really hope to reconnect things before it's too late, but you never know that it's too late until you have exhausted all your resources.

I have had the thoughts pounding through my head that I need to keep track of what I'm learning and document it for myself. ALSO I keep reading and learning things that I'm thinking to myself.. oh my gosh! I wonder if "so-and-so" knows this, or this is just what might help "so-and-so"
But there is something about all of us humans and timing... I wish it wasn't true, I wish that we could just always be 100% or know everything all the time, but it's just not the way life seems to work out. It's the CLIMB... it's the journey in life that makes our decisions so impact and meaningful in our lives.

I have been on a health journey for a long time. With all long treks it has been filled with obstacles, new people coming and going, stops along the way, hills to climb, beautiful visas, and harsh weather. It's hard to even think about everything at once because it hurts to much. Sometimes it's my pain that makes me cringe, sometimes it's the struggles of others that I wasn't able to alleviate. But there is definitely one thing that I can say for sure, and that is that through all the good and bad I have learned so much about life, love and the amazing grace of a Heavenly Father who loves his children.

I'm not sure I'm ready for everyone to know "ME" but I just feel an overwhelming feeling to put this out there. There are some that I wish wouldn't know anything about me, others that might be mean or cruel, but for the 1 person that I might help along this journey I will put up with the rest.

I am going to keep this record to help me and to help others along the way.  What started out at a plea to loose weight at the beginning has ebbed and flowed with success and purpose. I can pinpoint different markers in my life where things were good, things felt in balance and life was good in my head, and I can see those times I was lost and struggling to enjoy even a hug from one of my dear children.

My recent journey started as an "all chips on the table" approach to finally look in the mirror and see the person who I have been looking for for so long. I have endlessly tried to loose weight all my life!
recently With my diagnosis of Hashimotos (that I have been going to doctors for 8 years to try to figure out, and 5 years specifically asking to be tested for thyroid issues) more about that later! I have researched a little that low carb, gluten free lifestyle was the way to go, cutting out all sugar as well, then I had people around me trying out this "keto" diet, which i drug my feet in the mud before being willing to "start a new diet" I basically promised myself I wouldn't do that again. But I really felt it was best for me, I have worried about gluten intolerance for years and have gone off gluten for short periods of time but didn't know what results to look for as I was always 100% focus on losing weight... I felt that if I could lose weigh all my problems would vanish... I have always been self tortured by this problem!
Going back in my memory's to years and years ago...

I was what we call now "Bullied" and teased for my weight all my life as young as elementary school. Slammed up against a garage door in the neighborhood by Laura Bean as she proceeded to tell me that I was too fat. (yes it was so traumatic that I could go back to the exact location, and yes though I moved away when I was 10 years old, I still remember her name.) And within a short time I specifically remember a dear friend writing me a letter, I was in 5th grade, where she informed me that It was ok that I was Chubby( which when you are in 5th grade, is NOT ok to be called that) She would now likely barely hit my shoulder and her weight probably hovers around 100lbs... I was different then and that was bad. I was reminded over and over in 100 ways that I was different and that was bad. I remember 8th grade they weighed everyone in Gym class and told everyone your height and weight out loud. specifically remember being 5'8' and 128lbs... I shouldn't remember these things... it's insane, I can't remember things for a grocery list that I wrote yesterday, but trauma is different, it's scaring .... I can't forget them. I spent alot of my time in middle school and high school praying. I spent alot of time trying to balance my pull to stand out with my desire to not be the object of attention. When you are in the public eye (whatever your "public" is) you are under scrutiny.  I loved sports and being active, but couldn't handle failure or imperfection. It was easier to not do something than to fail trying... this was my high school/middle school life. It held me back from pushing myself, I didn't understand it then, and I'm just now starting to recognize it. And I'm learning alot about myself. But I had a deep understanding that while I may have failed to meet the expectations of those around me, I had a Heavenly Father that loved me and heard my prayers. I knew somehow that he heard and answered my prayers, and in many ways as the scriptures say he would go before me. I was able to push myself in someways that I felt inspired to do, that I felt a burning to do, in other ways, I just didn't have what it took to push myself. 

So now I find myself 36 year into life, still struggling with the same things that I was plagued with years ago, struggling with my weight and feeling like that will be the answer to all my problems, but I'm learning now that the only thing that I had right then was this: I was different, and I have a heavenly Father that loves me and has great need for me on the earth at this time.

If your reading this I hope that you can learn 2 things today: You are different, and thats ok!!! And your heavenly Father loves you and has a great need for you on the earth at this time!!

I don't have any answers for weightless in this post, But I am learning so much about what can help our bodies to be healthy. And it's not the food pyramid (I don't know why I question everything else the government is doing yet believed the food pyramid) , it's not calories in calories out (the most insane lie that I have fallen for!) But I have learned that the food we eat is either killing us, or helping us to thrive. When I started looking at things this way it was amazing the mental clarity that came to my mind. While I started out on this journey with Keto guidelines, I know that everyone's journey will look different, and that DIFFERENT IS OK!!! I am slowly finding what is helping me to personally thrive and succeed. I think I have been waiting for a magic potion that swooshes away fat and sadness and that won't happen.

Through my journey I will share about working with different doctors. I will share all my favorite podcasts and information that I have researched on the web. None of it can be considered medical advice, but what I have found is that when you hear the truth for you a seed is planted, when you hear a lie a seed is planted you just have to decide which you are going to provide your scarce resources to nourish!

So far My husband and I have been eating a meat and plant based diet. We have included dairy as well, but some of the family began eliminating dairy this week to see if that will help some of the health concerns that are plaguing us. I am one of those people.  I have physical pain all over my body from the 2 inched above the base of my hairline on my neck to my toes. Over the past year I have increased chiropractic and myropractic appointments in hopes to alleviate the pains. Many of the pains have been corrected and others have gotten worse. 

Massage is something I have also increased, to the point where a few weeks I have gone twice to get a professional massage because the pain was so emotionally hard to handle. Relaxing is very difficult for me. I have also began adding Yoga to my weekly routine and I love it! I also have given myself permission for relaxing and cutting out stress or even just daily routine in the effort to balance life. I matter, my family matters and I have let some of my household responsibilities slack and that was a huge help in my personal journey of peace. 

My fingers hurt currently and I am going to sign off. 

Today is Sunday, I plan to hug all of my kids, cut out extra distractions, ask the Lord what he would have me do this week for myself, my family and someone else. 

I had a sad awakening this morning as I thought of the times I have asked the Lord why I have struggled with one thing or the other, why he hasn't guided me to the write place, the write person for answers, the exact miracle that I would need to solve all my woes... and I thought of what our family has gone through, even things that they kids don't know they are going through. My kids have learned to do and be more, my relationship with my husband is amazing and he has had chances to serve and sacrifice for me that have bonded and strengthened us. I have learned to let go of so much, and to empathize and gain compassion for others. I see things and people differently. 

If you are reading this while struggling, see what good you can pull from the rubble, from the pain and from the sacrifices... this will help you gain gratitude and perspective.

 

Bridger is 4!

Magnolias Birthday

Birthday season is here!! heres a few of these sweet kiddos.
Magnolia April 22

 

 Happy Birthday Magnolia!! I love you sweet girl!
She is such a GIRL I love it! She's shy around boys, sucks her thumb, drags a blankie around, holds a baby, loves her Kenslie Baby and goes straight to her every time!! She loves LOVES loves her daddy and lights up at the sound of his voice and while she dosen't say daddy she somehow says "da" and wants to call him on the phone all the time! She LOVEs her brothers and lights up at the sound of their names when they are away. She started full on walking everywhere the week of her birthday and hasn't stopped. She just walks around all day long!! She loves holding anything over her arm like a bag or purse and will settle for a shirt or other clothes and puts her arm through it and carries it like a purse through the arm hole. SOOO funny!! Shes very opinionated, we can't believe shes not saying more words but she does use a few signs. OH I ALMOST FORGOT she throws a mean fit!
She loved yogurt, bananas, cheese sticks and milkies and of course her favorite....Ice cream cones!!

Happy Valley a new start!

WOW... the last year is kind of a blur... since our last post we have moved, TWICE! sucessfully completed a whole year of Homeschooling with the K-12 online charter school program some debate that it's not "real Homeschooling" But I absolutely LOVED it! The curriculum was great and the boys grew so much! They use testing still so we were able to measure their skills and both of them started above average and ended above average, which apparently is uncommon.

The boys are at the LOVE of Learning phase in life and are sponges for oppertunities to learn new things. From ancient Troy or the works of Van Gogh to a new math trick, they love learning!
They are all excited (8 on a 1-10 scale)... to start their new adventure today. It isn't with out reservations though. We all wanted to do homeschooling again this year, but something about it was left undecided in my mind. I never felt that I ever received an answer when I prayed about what they should do. I wish I could say that I felt really strongly about sending them to school, or that of all the schools I felt this was the best, or that I knew that I wasn't supposed to home-school or that I defiantly should keep them home...but that wasn't the case at all. I just felt undecided. So we felt being in a new area with the options of so many interesting charter schools we would research that, they nurtured a lot of the same values and educational objectives that I am passionate about and after an intensive look I choose this one :)
Happy Valley :) A patriotic school that supports Reading, hard work, family time, and historical and classic literature, and little homework so that when they are home, their home!. So here we go... without further ado:

The cutest little Kindergartener on the planet :)

 

Bentley Could not seee outside it was so sunny :)

Maxwell 2nd Grade

 

Cody 6th Grade

 

 I think I'm going to be ok... I had only cried twice by this point and only got watery eyes twice at the school.

Bridger just assumed that this was his seat :)

Bentley was so excited but also paralyzed with anxiety also. He could hardly talk, but went in and very slowly found his desk and put his name tag on.




I've had all the boys at home for the last year, before that I had Bridger as a baby, Bentley in Tuesday/Thursday preschool 9:45-11:30 and Maxwell in half day Kindergarten, Cody was in 4th.
Now the 3 older boys will be gone from 8-3 everyday (full time kindergarten) even though this naturally means more me-time, time to work on projects, I am still not that mom that is so glad that school has started. I love every minute of these little stinkers.  I think the time away can benefit us and I have a new perspective on learning and teaching and growth opportunities.  I have goals of how to improve family time and learning at home. I am going to make the moments that we do have together be some of the best!

Learning and Growing!

 Tiffany Park was a great place to start!!
The Owen family loved our family at Tiffany Park! Great Teachers, staff and Principal.
Maxwell Finished Kindergarten and Cody finished 4th grade.

 Here is Maxwell above with his teacher Mrs. Twiss. He loved his teacher, she was a very wonderful woman.
Maxwell was a social bug, organizing playdates and making friends with all he could!
Maxwell ended school year with flying colors. He scored excellent marks in all catagories/subjects on his report card.

Today maxwell can read aloud on his own. Is adding 2 digit numbers, and even learning to read with expression. He enjoys being with people and making new friends. He is kind and thoughtful. He LOVES crafts doing crafts and projects and absolutely takes every opportunity to make others smile and feel good!

Last day of School- Athletic day- The whole family was there in our angels outfits.
Bryant and I helped with the field day activities.

Cody finished the 4th grade with Mrs Clinton. He loved her and has always loved every teacher he has, it's always hard to leave. Cody volunteered to Babysit for her little baby and we gave her 2 movie tickets as a teacher gift. He had fun babysitting her little one. He is a sweet sweet boy!

Cody up and down out of his set several times during the awards ceremony at Tiffany Park.

Cody was recognized for his work and dedication for being on Patrol and as a Conflict Manager. He also got to go to Henry Moses Aquatic center for being on Patrol.
Cody was a participant in Battle of the Books. With his 3 other team mates, they competed for the win in thier 4th grade class and WON!! They then battled all the 4th grade class winners and WON for the 4th grade!, THEN they battled the 5th grade winner and went on to WIN!! Cody's group, self named the "World Readers" represented Tiffany Park at a District wide competition. They scored 27/30 of the Battle Questions correct. They didn't take the trophy, but they did do a great job, and under such pressure I was so proud of them!!
Cody was recognized with a medal and a Trophy at the assembly.
Cody was also THE Outstanding Student of the Year in his 4th grade class.

Cody is reading at a 11th+ grade level and is constantly wanting to learn! I loveit!!
What a wonderful young man he is! We are very excited to see his thirst for academic learning to increase!

 I also recieved an award at the assembly, which was a very sweet experience.  I received the Golden Acorn Award which is a National PTA award, awarded through nomination on an individual school level to one community/PTA member each year. My name will forever be on a plaque in the Hall of Tiffany Park.

They read a nomination letter,and I received 2 gorgeous flower bouquets, and a $50 target gift card :) whoo hooo!The award was received because of my Readioactive reading program than I ran with the kids. Goal: 100,000 minutes, actual reading reported: 215,000+ Along with work at the bookfair: Highest gross profit to date.

I was a little caught of guard when I received the Golden Acorn and didn't get a photo, but I plan on stopping in to say good bye and get a photo op!

Bentley is such a fun boy, really 1 in a million! He barely survived prescchool... the kid who never wanted to go, but we made it and he always liked it when he was finally there! Here is is at the Dentist office. I love taking my kiddos anywhere, no matter how crazy I think they are being, people are always amazed at how well behaved they are and it's nothing new that bentley allowed them to do the full exam and cleaning, and then he went back for cavity and was a champ through out the whole thing!
What a great boy....It sucks that he had a cavity...but hopefully his teeth stay straight!!

Bentley is a little sportster! He loves all sports has an amazing throw, is tougher than nails and always comes straight in for kisses in the morning from mommy! So... were good! Bentley is recongizing letter names and sounds, adds numbers, knows mostly all shaped and colors, can count and Identify numbers out of a list. He's loving that I'm working with him also this year as I'm doing a home learning school for the boys. I told him that he could have free time to play and after about 5 minutes he said "Mom is my free time up yet? I'm ready to start school!"

This little face is just to much for me sometimes.. He's too cute... thats all there is to it!
Bridger doesn't know how to walk, he's straight to a bolt ,run or a side shuffle! ( he can walk ;) )
He feeds himself with a spoon (the other boys didn't care about this so this is super fun for me!) he LOVES his daddy! like....LOVES his daddy! It's pretty adorable! He uses sign language to communicate. He mostly uses, DOWN, Apple, more, eat, and yes. We are adding more and working on a handful all the time. He is now going to bed without a bottle! SOOO much easier than I thought it would be to break! Thank goodness! Bridger is the funnest and most adorable baby on the planet and we tell him that every 20 minutes. He is adored by all of his brothers and he also thinks he is a Ninja! :)

Tulip Festival

 This was such a fun trip to tulip town! So glad that we skipped school and made some memories! We will defiantly be going back again next year. I can't believe that the boys enjoyed it so much, fields and sunshine. Here is a glimpse into the beauty of that day! I love these little faces more than anything in the world! ...and to add flowers just made my day brighter!

 Bentley Ray is truly a Ray of sunshine in our home! I love this little face and the millions of willing kisses he brings me each day! He loved the flowers and was going wild with the freedom of the fields :)

Cody was very excited to find these black diamond tulips! he was hoping to find blue...but these were a close second! such a wonderful big brother and one of the greatest human beings I have ever met!

Little Bridger was all over the place! He started walking a few weeks ago and is unstoppable now. he loved holding flowers, b-lining straight to mud puddles and toddling over the uneven ground. he fell quite a few times and tried to eat a few tuplips, he was a mess when it was all said and through, and I don't think he would have traded the day for anything!  

 BROTHERS!


Maxwell is such a fun boy and a great big brother, he was coming up with games and hiding in the fields and finding pour tulips that had been picked  and disregarded. I could never post all of the photos here that I took of this cute little toothless face. Maxwell is such a wonderful blessing to our family!