Milk-Free "Buttery" Sugar Cookies

I hate cookies.
Wait.
That's not true.
I LOVE cookies.

I hate baking cookies.

All that effort and then if you're anything like me, they're gone in about 10 seconds.

Tis the season, right?

Guilt struck.
The timing was right.
and... I wanted me some cookies!!!
and... Boomba would like them too.

Google landed me here.

This seemed easy enough. It says you don't even need to refrigerate the dough! That's my kind of sugar cookie!

Whaaaaaat?
"Almond Extract"?

Would Maple work instead?

YES!

That's the secret.

That's what makes my cookies "Buttery" and Bake at 350's cookies, well, not.

Instead of the 1/2 tsp of Almond, I used 1/4 tsp Maple Extract.

WIN!

Here's how I did mine:

3 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 c sugar
1 c earth balance soy-free spread
1 egg
3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp pure maple extract

And then, after all of the effort of baking them. They still needed frosted.

So I followed this video recipe.

I was afraid I'd made a big mistake, wasting all that precious energy on cookies when I didn't even have the right ingredient for. The Maple flavor and smell was a bit strong at first but after they cooled and were iced, it was more "buttery" than anything! Thus "Milk-Free 'Buttery' Sugar Cookies".

Now He's Three: The Game Changer

It has nearly been a year since I've posted.
Let's think about that.
One year.
Can that be?

Boomba at Christmas Program Rehearsal. He's a Wise Man.

Boomba is three years old.

His daily allergy life is a complete turn around than it was one year ago.
One year ago I felt helpless and lost.
I couldn't feed him anything without a reaction.
His system was so bothered that even things he's not technically allergic to, caused reactions.
The Lord took that cross from my husband and me and gave us three pages of allergens Boomba had been tested to. Atopic to all of them. THAT's why we couldn't feed him anything.
I praise the Lord that our life is different now.

I admit though, there are struggles.
A three year old is a bit more social than a two year old.
He's more logical- but in a way where he can argue his point.
It's been amazing to see this boy growing up and I've had the chance twice in the last two days to really see how much growing he has done.

We went to a Christmas Open House last night.
We could hardly get in the front door there were so many wonderful people there. They all held casein-processed meats, cheeses, and treats, laughing all the way. There were bowls of unlabeled treats in easy reach of all attendees. Among all of these obstacles, Boomba really showed me who he was and is made of.

A child I am proud of and grateful for.
He put his face right over the bowl of candies.
I worried and he noticed.
"I'm looking!" he assured me.

The whole evening he played with the dog, passing by all of the food, dishes, snacks, treats, and everything else.
He was happy to be there.
He was happy to eat his Safe Cookies from his zip lock baggie.
Tonight was similar.
He was such a responsible guy around our worst nightmare- pizza.
Tonight he also learned a hard lesson about cross-contact.
I tried to explain he couldn't have more strawberries because now people who have touched pizza, touched them.

I should have practiced this in the mirror.

He was sad.
Me too.

He understood he couldn't hold hands with the children afterwards too.
He understood the situation so well he told me he would "show them where the sink was" so they could wash their hands. Isn't it funny how ridiculous notions that are taboo seem outside of the context? Of course it's that simple.
Hand washing.
That's when I told my sweet three year old another difficult thing. "It's not polite to ask someone to wash their hands."
Is that true?
I think it is.
It seems silly when you say it like that, and especially in regards to saving someone's livelihood.

Yep one year ago was different.

I came across a quote of Emma Stone's (Love her!) while mindlessly pinteresting today.

"What sets you apart can feel like a burden. And it's not. A lot of the time, it's what makes you great."

I think it applies to allergies well.
It made me really think.
I know I have more self-control than I -ever- have.
Nothing would have stopped me from indulging in a treat- nothing except my son's livelihood, now.

We have an opportunity to be a voice for Allergy Families everywhere. If we take the time to live as a teaching example now, maybe Allergy Kids in the future can live a bit safer. Boomba has to learn at a young age who he is and that he has to stand up for himself. Hopefully I can teach him to do this in a respectful way.

We are days away from celebrating the gift of Christ Jesus, coming into the world to bare our sins to the cross, so that we might be free from sin. What a great time to remember this life is short. Death has no grip. Worry does nothing. The victory is our God's, The one and only true God.

"From Heaven Above to Earth I Come"
by Martin Luther, 1483-1546
LSB 358, v 2-3 2.

"2. To you this night is born a child Of Mary,
chosen virgin mild;
This little child, of lowly birth,
Shall be the joy of all the earth.

3. "This is the Christ, our God and Lord,
Who in all need shall aid afford;
He will Himself your Savior be
From all your sins to set you free."

Lack of Power

Image from: Here

This is exactly what I needed to hear today.

I've been a mess with cabin fever, baby nesting, and planing a 1,000 mile move for the week after our baby's due date.

Just to add to the fun we've been blessed by a surprise baby shower in a little over a week and the next day I'm going to load into a van and drive to the other edge of the state to see my family with Boomba, without Husband.

Oh yeah, all while keeping Boomba safe from allergens.

Will it work out?

Yes

Did God know the timing of our move when He blessed us with this gift of a newborn-to-be child?

Yes.

So what's the big deal?

I'm assuming lack of power to be the culprit.

Why is it so hard to remember and trust that God works for the good of those who love him?

I think every one of my posts (unless it's a recipe) centers around this "issue".

Basically I've created a blog about our lack of power.

It seems so simple.

Trust God, since no matter what it's Him who will provide anyway.

It would be the best for everyone if we could actually do this.

But I can't.

Even hind sight distorts memories into worry-free days.

Looking ahead, that's a completely different sight looking through sinful eyes.

Commercial Win

Grace. Creativity. Poise. Confidence. Matter-of-factly.

These are the attributes I always imagined handling this situation with.
Turns out I'm just glad I didn't cry.

Boomba is 2 1/2 and that means he is old enough to be a recipient of TV ads and commercials. As we watched TV a few nights ago I didn't expect that commercial to be the one that got to him.

I thought for sure it would be the Lego commercial. Or maybe BeyBlades...
Not this.

As I watched the ice cream commercial dreaming of the day I could sneak out of the house and steal an ice cold creamy sweet melt-in-your-mouth treat, I was interrupted.

"Boomba want ice cream!" he said with the specific delight only ice cream can conjure.

Pregnancy Hormones.
Allergy Mom Frustrations.
Just plain caught off guard, maybe.

Speechless.

I have searched the big box stores and health foods stores alike to find an ice cream suitable for Boomba's needs. If it isn't laced with Casein, it has Soy or Coconut in it.

The truth is for my own birthday party in March I made an ice cream alternative. It was the first time we broke the tradition of celebrating my birthday with an ice cream cake. I made Lemonade Ice Tea Sorbet. It was good. It wasn't ice cream, but it was good.

For whatever reason this moment of my son coming to me with a request just got me. So now it's my own personal mission to make my own Rice Milk Ice Cream because tonight we have a Social Event to go to! It's a family friend's birthday celebration and I want Boomba to get his wish: ICE CREAM! If you'd like to read about how our last Social Event went you can click here.

The Liebster Blog Award!

Little did I know when I woke up this morning I would be honored to write this post today.

My new e-mails clicked from 70 to 71 and I flipped tabs to see what junk mail had found its way into my life.

A blog comment? Well that's not junk at all!

YAY!

*click*

Turns out Mom Up or Go Home has been nominated by my dear Camel Hair and Honey for a Liebster Blog award!

THANK YOU Camel Hair and Honey!

First of all.

What the heck is a Liebster Blog Award?

From what I can tell it is an award nominated in order to create more traffic on beloved sites. Camel Hair and Honey educated me on it too. Here's how she put it:

"Liebster is a German word, meaning dearest or beloved, but it can also mean favourite. The idea behind the Liebster Blog Award is that it is given to talented and/or loved bloggers who have less than 200 followers in order to create new connections and to bring attention to these wonderful blogs!

There are a few rules that go along with accepting the award:

- Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog.

- Link back to the presenter who presented the award to you.

- Copy and paste the award on to your blog.

- Present the Liebster Blog Award to 5 blogs with 200 followers or less who you feel deserve to be noticed.

- Let them know they have been chosen by leaving a comment on their blog."

What an honor!

Now.... My 5 nominations! Check 'em out, they're listed for a reason.

From the Home to the Heart

: Christ-centered parenting of the cutest kids on the block.

First Comes Love

: Quick wit and class are all right here as Mrs. R writes of "a little bit of everything as we navigate the way to parenthood".

Rooney Photography

: This blog is run by and showcases a budding photographer who has quite the talented eye.

Five Things at Once

: Daddy Blog. Check it out.

barefoot in the kitchen

: I love the photos this momma posts of her family and of her newest sewing endeavors!

There you have it. You've been Liebster-ed.

1 Night, 5 Pizzas

Sometimes I think we're living a normal life.
Sometimes I forget we're different.

About the time I get really comfortable with our life, we have some sort of public engagement that shocks me back into the actual reality.

Sometimes this happens when I'm shopping and I have a freak-out over Boomba reaching for an M&M's package.

To the naive eye I must look like the official National Sugar Enemy.
To the naive eye, I am not a Supermom saving my son from casein contamination. I'm another over protective young mom who is sheltering her child into a social and developmental coma.

Sometimes I am shocked into actual reality as I'm doing our monthly shopping spree. It takes about 3hrs to do this whole process. Even though I buy the same brands and products nearly every month with little fluctuation, it still takes 3 hrs. Allergy Parents need to read every package, every time. If I buy 7 cans of corn, I need to carefully read 7 cans or corn to make sure not one of those pesky guys snuck in from a contaminated distribution facility. The facilities that may or may not contain traces of casein. Companies change their recipes "improving" their already safe products into casein (and other allergen) death traps with no warning. It is up to the Allergy Parent to read, read, read every single product that goes into their cart.

I'm sure, as the above mentioned example, I again look like a paranoid hippy freak who only buys "x,y,z". Thank God for the hippy freaks, by the way, because then at least I have a social affiliation and I'm not the loner freak that doesn't even fit into a category. Even if this category is not mine to fit in.

Sometimes it's a social party we decide to venture to that shocks us into actual reality.
This particular venture is a delicate one. I don't know anyone at walmart or the dollar store and for all I care they can think I'm whatever type of mom or crazy-lady they want. Social parties are a bit different though.

It is here when I am able to see how our "normal" world looks more like a hurricane compared to the greener pastures of the serene environment the rest of the world seemingly offers.

I mean, can you imagine living a life where you could focus your energy into parenting instead of wondering what your kid is going to touch/eat that may send him to the ER? Potlucks. Dinner parties. Birthday cake. Ice cream. Bowling- ha! Bowling. I bet Boomba couldn't even touch those grease deep fat fried bowling balls of contamination doom.

Okay, even to me I'm sounding like the above mentioned crazy woman.

Last night was a wonderful time of fellowship with friends. We watched Rev Fisk's You Tube Channel- in BIG screen, among other things.

And there was even a surprise!

5 pizzas someone generously donated to the evening of fun and theology, among other things.

I have something wonderful to tell you. Boomba ran around like an oblivious 2 year as he should have. Husband and I even took turns sneaking around the corner to indulge in the Casein Pies while the other watched Boomba.
*enter the awkward moment where someone notices you're double washing your hands and mouth afterward*

We had a team of experienced parents looking out for us too. You know, the parents of older kids/teens/young adults that are very eager to love on your child as they reminisce. I'm so thankful for our Boomba's adpot-a-grandparents. As we've always lived long distance from Boomba's actual grandparents, these people are wonderful blessings to us and our son. These people are probably not used to the strict no-touching-tables/contaminated-surfaces allergy rules as we are, but all in all they are very reliable in making sure Boomba remains well entertained and doesn't go running out the door- the "normal" (or what I'd imagine to be "normal") 2 yr old stuff.

We made it through the whole evening without a major accident.
Yes we dosed Benedryl.
Yes we've been feeding Boomba carefully choreographed Gluten Free meals to prepare his body to withstand contamination in preparation.

But thank God we have those tools to make it so we can partake in Social Parties.

I probably spend all too much time thinking about our life and its specifics.
I'm pretty sure if we didn't have a life threatening allergy to deal with, we'd still be struggling with sin and temptation. Jesus was sent for everyone, after all.

When those grass pastures look lush and green I try to count my blessings.

I had a phone date with my best friend today. As we talked and I touched on our lifestyle, I wondered what will happen when our lives intersect again. We plan to resume play dates (in person!) in a few short months, once we are all in the same town again. Since we were last able to do in-person play dates this Allergy Family's lifestyle has changed more than we imagined.
I don't think I'm worried.
Just thinking.

God knows this too.

Dear God,
Please let us know of your providence as we are twisting in this whilpool of a sinful world. Please remind us that no matter what transitions are coming (known and unforeseen) that you are our rock, steady and strong. You are well aware and in conrol, something we cannot relate to. Thank you.
Amen.

Buy Yahtzee NEW for $5.50!

I told Husband I didn't want to "just sit on the couch for another night."
He took me to Alco.
We looked at card games, we looked at puzzles, we looked at toddler toys.

I Love yahtzee.
They didn't have it.

They did have Yahtzee Replacement Cards for $2.99, though.

I popped them in the cart and wondered if we had any dice at home.

At the checkout the lady asked if we found everything okay, just like always.
I almost said "Yea" just like always, but then I said "No".
It worked! She found me a package of dice for $2.50 and we were set!

Use your own cup and pens and BAM- Yahtzee!

Sometimes It's Better

I just finished watching the movie The Change Up. It's raunchy to say the least, however I am driven keep my pregnant-self up even later to write this so hang tight and excuse the bound-to-occur type-os, please.

The ending quote really got to me.
Spoke right to me.

I've been saying for weeks "This isn't how I imagined my life".

Sometimes I say it in a disappointed tone, sometimes a besides-myself tone, but mostly in a huh-God-you-REALLY-know-what-you're-doing tone.

The schmuck of a guy, Mitch (played by Ryan Reynolds- which by the way is the most undesirable character I've ever seen him play) ends the movie with a stunning quote.

"Sometimes life doesn't turn out like you plan it. Sometimes, sometimes it turns out better"

Whoa.

Just because our lives aren't congruent with our dreams (our innately sinful dreams I'll add) doesn't mean it's a bad thing. We are taught and asked and probed- What will you be when you grow up? Did you make it into the best college available? and on and on. Of course we have a hard time when we realize this isn't what we (thought) wanted.

Now here's stolen sermon illustration:
Remember Moses leading the Israelites? Were they happy to be lead around for 40 years? No. They in fact more than entertained the idea of going back to being slaves in Egypt as a better alternative, the vary thing God through Moses was saving them from.

If God would have lead them the quickest way from A to B that's exactly what would have happened. Instead they took the long route, a 40 year long route to get to Canaan. The route that avoided the Egyptians. Who knew that this long and wearing voyage was the way God planned it to be. It didn't make sense to the people, but it doesn't have to.

I never could have dreamed I would have a BS in Studio Arts, I could not have guessed I would be married to a man who later would name me the trailing spouse of a seminarian and later, God willing a pastor. I NEVER could have imagined I would be an Allergy Mom. I never would have seen myself okay with living more than 20 miles away from my parents- literally, 20 miles. Now we're the closest we've been in 6 years at slightly over 200 miles, and you know what? I'm completely okay with it. I would have never guessed that after being told by my a Dr 1 mo before my wedding at age 21 I could never become pregnant, that I would be pregnant multiple times and God willing will meet my 2nd baby this summer.

Ready for another stolen sermon illustration?
This is a good'n.

I think of a pastor who brought a wrapping paper roll and a lego man to the pulpit with him often. He didn't bring these things in tot he pulpit often, I think of him and this illustration often. He placed the lego man in the wrapping paper roll and cupped his hands on the ends moving the roll, sliding the lego man inside. He explained we are the lego man, we can see behind us, and we can see a little ways ahead of us, but we are surrounded in this life span. God on the other hand stands outside the roll, able to clearly see and know the beginning, end and in betweens of every moment, not only of our life span, but everyone's!

This all adds up to show God really does know what He's doing.
My heart is with the Israelites, traveling and trusting, without being able to see the end that God already has prepared and knows.

Thank you God for knowing me and even despite my straying, shepherding me away and through the wolves.
Amen.

Image Link

The Luxury of Staying at Home?

Swiped from here.

I'm a stay at home mom.

I once dreamed of teaching but a few things combined with the stark realization that if I was a teacher I couldn't be a stay at home mom, changed my mind.

My mom stayed home when I was in pre-school and did Avon. After that she was a working woman! Thankfully my dad was a janitor so I was always watched by a parent, even though they both worked.

My sister in law was and still remains a huge influence on me. She taught me the importance of knowing what I believed and why. She taught me the beauty and God given weight of my vocations as daughter, sister, and then later, wife and mother.

You can google a million sites that will go on and on about how staying at home is either ridiculous, the -only- way to go, impractical, or even a luxury.

I love being home and spending what I can already see is fleeting time with my son, watching him grow, teaching him our beliefs and I love to discipline him as Husband and I decide is fit.

His allergies add to the reasoning. I'm really not sure of a daycare that would take him as he has a life threatening allergy to trace amounts of casein combined with multiple other serious food and environmental allergies. Because of his allergy I can focus on making safe and healthy foods for him. I wanted to stay at home even before we knew of this special benefit, before we were an "Allergy Family".

Many ladies argue that they "Wish they could but can't be a stay at home mother". Now I don't want to shame anyone for the decision they are making for their family, but I also do not think this argument is valid. These ladies would also add that "staying at home as a mother is just a luxury they can't afford".

Why does this not hold up in my book?

We are not rolling in dough.
We make waaaay less than 25k a year and are paying on all of our student loans (because Husband and I both put ourselves through college).
The truth is I would have to make a substantial amount of money to off set the charges day care would demand. If I worked out of the home, I would not be able to make homemade meals every single day (which is our only option to have safe meals for Boomba, by the way). We would pay a lot of money in processed and "fast" or "boxed" foods.

It is because I am at home that I can spend the time to shop for the BEST deal when we need to make a purchase. I can also sew and make our own toys, repairs and etc out of recycled materials, because I'm home to do that- that's how I provide for my family.

It's scary.
It's terrifying to leave the regular paycheck of a job to become a stay at home mom. You crunch numbers and try to figure it all out. There are as many ways to make it work as there are families who do it. I groomed myself for this job and even I need regular talks with other moms and Husband to remind me of what exactly it is I am doing. It is after all quite ambiguous, especially compared to the black and white contracted jobs many mothers hold in addition to keeping house and mothering and wife-ing.

I know I'm doing just what all the other sites are doing. Telling you what to think about being a stay at home mom. I guess it just really makes me upset that people think this is all such a luxury when they don't see the sacrifices that are made to do this.

But then again...
The luxury is in the fact that I can get the housework and errands done in the day so Husband can come home and we can have true family time together. The luxury is in homemade foods, teaching Boomba our morals for this short time that I am his predominate role model. The luxury is in serving my family.

I am so thankful for a husband who not only supports me as a stay at home mom, but does so much more than that. He tries to see things from my point of view. He works more than one job (or four) if he needs to make sure that one of us can always be home with Boomba. He encourages me to seek additional support and comrade when toddler company isn't cutting it for me, emotionally.

I'm thankful for my God who provides for us in ways we can never see coming.

"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"
-Matthew 6:26

Valentines Day @ Our House '12 edition

So I did it.
I've planned enough ahead to be able to post BEFORE a holiday, ABOUT a holiday!
We cheated a little.
We had a Mixed Berry Smoothie with Drip Dropping Chocolate Topping a night early, that's how we do it here. Can't wait when there's something good to be had!

Here's what it looked like:

I know.
I went a little crazy with the hearts.
But...
IT'S VALENTINE'S DAY!
(virtually).

I dumped a bag of frozen mixed berries in my new food processor along with ice cubes, apple sauce, apple juice, & rice milk.

But first- I made this wonderful hot fudge to drip drop on the top!

Martha Stewart's Hot Fudge

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
pinch of salt
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 1/2 T butter
1 tsp vanilla

In medium saucepan, combine sugar, cocoa and salt. Add corn syrup and whipping cream. Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla; stir until butter melts. Cool slightly before serving.

I subbed rice milk straight across for the whipping cream and used Earth Balance Soy-Free spread.

SO GOOD!

Who knew when I topped the smoothie with the hot fudge it would drip so beautifully?!

That's not the end. I have a little game up my sleeve.
Don't tell Boomba, it's a surprise.

We will be Heart Hunting tomorrow!
I covered a cocoa container with pink paper and cut out cookie cutter-traced hearts from colored paper too. I will tell Boomba he has to hunt for 10 hearts. I'll hide them like this:

So.... What's for dinner?

Living in the Know

It is such a relief to know what we know now.
Boomba eats Milk, Beef, Soy, Gluten/Wheat, Coconut, and Garlic free these days.
No wonder we couldn't control his reactions.
We are expecting our Environmental Oral Drops to come in a few weeks and we've heard nothing but promising things about those.

We were straight up told that reactions would be a regular part of our life. Now that we know Boomba is not only reacting to Casein, we can also know that many of his reactions will not be because of casein, and therefore less likely to be Anaphylactic.

So. Though our diet has changed drastically to say the least, and though our grocery bills have increased, we are very pleased.

We are pleased to be living in the know.

It was such a scary place to be, wondering "Why is he reacting?", "What can he eat?", "What do we do now?".

It is an interesting thing though, to be pregnant and to deal with cravings in this limited diet. Oh yeah.

WE'RE PREGNANT!!!!

We are currently sneaking up on 15 weeks and due near July 23rd.

For all of you wondering, yes that is the -day- we were planning making our move back to Husband's Grad School. The one that's over 1,ooo miles away.

They said I was crazy moving 7oo miles when I was 32 weeks pregnant with Boomba.
Ya'll ain't seen crazy yet.

We're gunna take this boat train magic show on the road pregnant(or newly not pregnant) and allergy free!

Stay tuned.

God has surely blessed us.

GFCF Bean Chilaquiles Casserole

Due to the stack of three pages worth of allergies Boomba has tested positive to, our diet is transforming, to say the least.

In addition to the Casein Free home we have kept for two years, we are also all of a sudden living a Gluten Free life as well as Soy free and Beef and Coconut Free!
God Help Us.
Hahahaaa.

Dropping the Soy has improved the constant reactions incredibly.
I have tried one GF bread and have to work up the nerve (quickly) to try it again.
In the mean time I decided to go all out for lunch today with a recipe I adapted that originally was inspired by this site.

GFCF Bean Chilaquiles Casserole
1 Onion- Saute' in oil
Add:
1 can Navy Beans (drained/ rinsed)
1 can Kidney Beans (drained/ rinsed)
1 can tomatoes (leave un-drained to add moisture)
1 can corn (drained)
1 tsp Cumin
Salt and Pepper to taste
Heat Through

Quarter GF 6 Corn Tortillas- Layer in bottom of 8x8 casserole dish

Bake the casserole in a 400 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes.

Layer your skillet goodness onto the tortilla chips and then repeat, topping with more skillet goodness!

I was surprised at the wonderful flavor of this dish!
It's got a special sweetness and it's not abrasive like some Mexican dishes can be.

Want a sweet treat?
Try these GFCF Sweet Crunchies!

GFCF Sweet Crunchies

Want a sweet treat?
Try these GFCF Sweet Crunchies!

Easy peasy.
Cut up some GF corn tortillas and drizzle oil on them in a bowl.
Make sure they are well coated.
Sprinkle generously with sugar and cinnamon.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 mins.

That's all!

These are not your typical FLOUR tortilla chips, these are CRUNCHY, like chips.

I'm excited to make these with different seasonings- garlic, herbs... YUM!

Toy Car Garage DIY

1 diaper box
1 cut
5 pieces of tape
_____________ +
Hours of fun with a Toy Car Garage and Ramp!

Here's my Photo-How-To:

I had visions of painting this into a wonderful spectacle.
Maybe I can live vicariously through you.

A New Year. A New Focus.

I thought that our 3rd year of marriage was our toughest. Not because of our marriage specifically. Because of the turn of events that occurred that year.
We:

-Moved 700 miles
-Moved while I was VERY pregnant
-Husband started Grad School
-Birthed a baby who was unexpectantly in the NICU
-Became ill with Swine Flue
-Swine Flu turned into Pneumonia
-We had Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in our home
-We couldn't make our bills
-We found out just how scary an Anaphelactic reaction is

After we survived that I thought my trust in God was pretty good.

*toot toot* - my own horn.

That was until we realized how helpless we've been and feel because of Boomba's constantly growing allergy list.

So here's the turn of a new leaf, with God's help.

We are helpless.
God sustains us.
It's time to trust in God's providence.

I don't generally "believe" in New Year's Resolutions but I decided it would be a good idea to make a Christ-based on this year. A new focus for the new year.
With God's help I want to make it a point to:

Trust/ Remember/ Appreciate God's Providence

Matthew 10:29-31

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Philippians 4:19

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.