Family Crisis again

For those who are wondering why I have not updated in forever on here it is due to the fact that my husband's cancer has got a lot worse. He is more than Stage 4 now and is on palliative pain medicine and care basically by a home care nurse.

He is waiting on a new drug which is ready to ship to us but my husband has jaundice really bad. He is having difficulties using the bathroom too and the plumbing is just not working right. We are still homeschooling a little bit each day through the situation.

Please go to this link if you want to stay abreast of the situation. Thanks.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/brendonknight


Enjoy the fall
Julie

Treatment options Changed Again

My husbands scans did not come back free and clear, and obviously we knew that would happen too. His tumor is the size of a baseball or softball now. There is however no spread of cancer anywhere else in the body.

Here is an update however on our Caringbridge site for those who are really interested and have not already seen this update through Facebook.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/brendonknight/journal

I am reading Mrs Ann Voskamp's blog daily as there is so much in there to keep me turning to my Bible and reading what God's way is. The Bible not the blog are keeping me hanging onto Jesus.  (http://www.aholyexperience.com/ )

I do believe in healing and that God's word works. He has healed before and He can do it again.

Believe with us for the Lord's mighty hand to reach into Walt's body and heal thoroughly whether it be slow or instantly. Thank you for loving us from afar dear friends.

Be blessed and worship in the Lord's house on Sunday if you can.

Julie

Contemplating Cancer Treatment - Why is it There?

Husband , Best Friend, Daddy, Son and Brother. 

Cancer. Recurrence. Metastasis  This can be a scary time for a man, a family, especially one with small children already scarred by this disease. We took time out today to go over numerous tests with W's integrative health physician,  and still more to peruse later this week. God has a plan for this family whether it be for many years ahead or a shorter space of time. We do not know how long he has for each of our lives but He knows. He assures us we are in the palm of His hand.

Yes He sends His angels to watch over us, the Holy Spirit to guide us. We need to be still long enough to listen and to wait for that direction.  Brendon saw angels in our home so we know they are still around. 

We have so much information to learn in a short space of time so we are asking Him for wisdom and direction. To change our ways of eating is so hard for most people in this country. To start off right from birth would be so much better for everyone. To encourage others to eat better is good too but not to force them. I have never had issues with eating healthy as in a Third World Nation where I grew up,  it was easy. I did not have too many choices for boxed and canned 'delicacies' - if you could call them that. Those were our 'treat' foods.  Thank you Lord for that teaching my parents instilled in  me to eat that way. 

Choose wisely what you eat yourself and for your children as much as you can. 

Pray for my husband and children that they will be willing to adapt to our new way of life whatever that may be and whatever change that may involve for the dynamics of our home. Thank you so very much.  Pray for many years of family life and many places to witness of God's blessing in our lives. 

We will continue to update you when we know more.  Pray for W to find some other kind of work in the Postal Service he can do to keep him occupied. 

Thank you and thank you

Spring is Surely Coming

This is the season of new things. I look around our city and see the daffodils and tulips popping out of the ground. It makes me so thankful for seasons. When I lived in Africa there was 2 seasons - summer and winter(only 3 months long and not really cold). The Lord created the harshness and coldness of winter to temporarily silence plants and animals. Sometimes humans too. During the ice storm this year there was lots of time for reflection. God provides these resting times i nour lives so our spirits can be renewed.

Did we use the winter season wisely? Did we spend more time in His presence and Word? I certainly did not. I became caught up in the 'things' that needed to be done so we could have more time to enjoy the nice seasons.

Did you snuggle with your children in front of a log fire and just read for the entire day! Mmmm. I read lots of books but they were scheduled ones msotly. When I did stop and read the fun and exicting, mysterious ones I had my family's attention totally. These are my favourite times during the day. I can hold the attention of 2 wriggly boys who would rather be making noises galore with their cars, trucks and trains.

Are you wondering if I am healing from my grief in the past 3 years. Well yes and no. I do not get sad every day, just occasional moments during each week. I am blessed to realize that. Mourning is so exhausting. Grief can envelope your brain, spirit and soul, and eventually your physical health. My health is gradually improving. Praise the Lord.

Gluten Free, Sugar free and additive free has done wonders for my physical awareness, and my spirit too. You see the Lord is healing me both inside and out.

The photo above is our precious Brendon taking at a photo shoot in spring time before he got cancer!

Nourishing Traditions/New Ways of Eating Healthy

It has long been on my heart to share with folks about healthier ways of eating and have neglected to put information or links on this blog. I recently was reading a blog I follow http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/ and she linked to one of my favourite sites through this post ( http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2011/02/free-ebook-healthy-4-life-from-the-weston-price-foundation.html ) . The link is placed here below for those who are interested in reading a version of "Nourishing Traditions" but it is smaller and in PDF format and able to be read on your desktop. Once you have read this little book you may then see why it is better for you to eat this way! Then you can save up to buy the thick book called "Nourishing Traditions" which guides you into all the reasons why we should be eating soaked grains, bone broths, grass fed meat, chicken and eggs, raw milk and so on.

http://www.westonaprice.org/images/pdfs/healthy4life2011.pdf

I just briefly glanced through this book this morning and it gives you an excellent outline on how to change over to this way of eating. You do not have to buy all organic everything either. That gets expensive as our family knows all too well.

For the health of you and your family take a peek. The download is free for you to have anyway. Most libraries have copies of the "Nourishing Traditions" Book too.

Keep our family in your prayers please as we have a case of regular flu, stomach flu, arthritis and knee pain, as well as some extended winter blues going on here.

Thanks - Julie

Farmers Markets

Hi there,

We are homeschooling, playing in the pool and are done with VBS as well as all our tennis and swimming lessons too. It has been a busy June and July. We are leaving for vacation soon for a week but I would like to post about some things I love best.

The month of August is known nation wide as the harvest month, and bumper crops of zucchini, cucumber, tomatoes and corn are coming in by the droves. When selecting at the farmers markets be sure to get the least bruised looking items. Sometimes the vendors if I know them well will give me a reduced price for the produce if it is damaged and then I just blend it up into fruit or veggie rollups. I have a dehydrator so after the produce or fruit is blended I put it in the dehydrator and about 6 hours later I have a preserved harvest. Of course it usually gets wrapped in plastic wrap(yes I do use it occasionally), and stored in the freezer. When we leave on a day trip I have a handy snack which is nutritious and healthy and yummy for the boys.

Our local farmers market in Cumberland, IN is having a Arts Festival in August. Here is a link to the page where you can find the information.

http://cumberlandfbc.org/Cumberland%20Arts%20goes%20to%20Market%202010.htm

Our family attended last year. We found some neat deals on Christmas gifts, as well as did our usual shopping at the Farmers Market at the same time. The boys and I listened to some neat classical and jazz music in the big tent whilst snacking on our lunch. It does not have to cost anything to attend just don't buy too many things when you are there. You will get an idea of the local vendors in and around Cumberland and Greenfield, IN and enjoy some time with your family.

No I don't get paid for this but just would like you to have an enjoyable day! I met some wonderful people who had exhibits up last year and the boys had a fun and exhausting day.

I will put a button somewhere on here on the blog soon.

Review: BeeYoutiful

Yeah - Yeah Yeah, I shouted when I was selected to be one of the members of the TOS Crew to try out the BeeYoutiful products. The reason I was excited was because I know what an awesome company this is. Their ethics and work standards are great and their products, in my opinion are excellent.

The product that I was sent in the mail is called Tummy Tuneup. This is a supplement that I have not yet tried but of course after using a few times on both myself and my son I am content to promote it. Tummy Tuneup is full of Lactobacillus acidophilus (and 2 other types), as well as Bifid bacterium (3 types). If you are questioning those big words well don’t. these are healthy bacteria that re-boost your stomach and the your intestinal system. They are probiotic and anti yeast V-caps that can be taken, or the powder from the capsule mixed up with applesauce or liquid for children. The bottle does indicate to take before eating. This definitely does help in the case of if you are about to indulge in rich fatty foods of any kind like Pizza, Spaghetti, and probably cheesecake to avoid the effects that may happen after this kind of meal. One thing I do need to point out is that you can take this product with you anywhere, but do not leave in a hot vehicle or anywhere that it may get overheated at any time.

I have used this for my oldest son particularly as he is partial to getting virus bugs from other children and it has been phenomenal in preventing them. If the digestive system is in good working order then the body can fight back against virus’ of this kind easier. Tummy Tuneup restores the environment to the intestines where it is needed before it is upset. In this country and overseas in 1st world nations it is easy to get a disrupted stomach from rich food when eating out, or even when traveling from a different water supply. I know this from experience. When I was younger I used to get cramps from the hotel tap water whenever we traveled. I do not experience that any longer.

From testimonies on the BeeYoutiful website and from other crew members they have used this when their children have had the diarrhea and vomiting bug during this past winter. It has worked like a charm. I would recommend this product to be something you do not travel without this summer if you are taking a vacation. It would also be handy to have on hand in your home during a long snowy winter where viruses abound.

I love BeeYoutiful products and currently our family is using SuperMom and SuperDad tablets/capsules, Cod Liver Oil capsules, different essential oils like Peppermint and Lavender (for headaches and peaceful sleeping), Ultra Immune and Berry Well. Ultra Immune is an amazing product and is taken between meals to help support the Immune system and keep it functioning. Some key ingredients in it are Elderberry, Oregano Oil and Allisure (Garlic). These 3 are important in preventing your body in catching those colds and chest infections. I take this due to the stress level in my life being extremely high. It certainly helps to keep the stress loads down to a minimum. BerryWell is a Herbal Dietary Supplement for people 1 and over (contains raw honey) to help build up a strong immune system. It has been very effective in keeping colds to a minimum this winter in our home - recovery time from a fever or cold is now down to 2-3 days instead of a week. My toddler has no qualms about taking a teaspoon of this every day if I want him too. I call that a successful product.

I could talk for a long time about how wonderful BeeYoutiful products are. They are all tested in a safe environment, and do not come from a manufacturer that is bent on destroying your body, or world in the process. I do feel that during this current minor depression of mine I would not be feeling as well as I do if it were not for BeeYoutiful supplements and oils.

The cost for a bottle of Tummy Tuneup is $18.00 and has 60 capsules. If you have Irritable Bowel Syndrome or a sensitivity to spicy or rich food I would suggest trying it out. If your children are susceptible to infections or getting colds when exposed to other children think about adding this to your medical aid kit and tossing out some store bought stuff! It is definitely healthier.

Some of my fellow crew mates enjoyed other beauty and/or health products from BeeYoutiful and their review links can be found here:

http://homeschoolblogger.com/homeschoolcrew/781123/

If you want to skip the crew stuff then click on over to BeeYoutiful directly and enjoy their site with articles and heaps of information. They have a catalog that comes out quarterly too. Here is the link:

http://www.beeyoutiful.com/

I have received this product in exchange for my review, as I am part of the TOS Homeschool Crew for 2009/10.

Review: Sue Gregg Cookbooks

The last 6 months that I have been on the crew I have been using a really neat cookbook which is also a nutritional diary of sorts. Of course this is right up my alley as it were. I love, love, love dealing with books and products that teach or help you learn how to eat, live and exercise correctly to get the best nutrition and life possible.

I have known about Sue Gregg and her cookbook series for many years and have applied many of her methods over time. The recipes that I did get to try from the “Breakfasts….with Blender Batter Baking & Allergy Alternatives” book were different and new to me. On the website there are a few trial recipes for you to try out. As part of the Crew we went to the site and picked a recipe, made it and did a review and then requested which book we would like to try. I picked the above one. Breakfast is my favorite meal.

I have always loved, and am known to serve a good and healthy breakfast. Eggs, Grains, fruits and vegetables can be used in this meal. It can be balanced and it can be healthy. Yes it takes more work to make a good meal than just pulling out a box of cereal. Last night I placed a cup of oatmeal, and a cup of warm water and 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and some whey from the yogurt in a saucepan, 12 hours later I added more water and a little milk and cooked the oatmeal. It was so yummy with added raisins, and chopped up apple. Train your children to like cooked cereals for breakfasts and not to always want the store bought stuff.

The first 40 pages of this book are detailed information for ‘Planning for Breakfast’ on different kinds of milk to make or buy, eggs, dairy alternatives, fats and oils uses of nuts, different sweeteners, and methods of making breakfast foods. Sue also does provide some sources for the ingredients that you may not be used to but, the Internet has a vast array of stores selling these items. There are menu planning helps, recipes galore with alternative for grain and milk allergies included in many of them, as well as biblical truths and folk remedies scattered throughout the book.

I have been a promoter and user of the “soaking grains” method for making breads, muffins and pancakes for some time now and Sue outlines this method clearly in this “Breakfasts” book. Sue does have at least 5-6 other recipe books available on her website and even a Children’s Cooking Curriculum for the “Lunches and Snacks” book with a CD ( book not included )full of photos demonstrating the processes she uses. I do think that teaching your children to cook and care for themselves at a young age is a bonus as they will take care of you when they are older. They could even cook 2-3 dinners per week whilst you take care of the younger children.

The “Breakfasts” cookbook sells for a price of $23.00. I also do own the “Soups and Muffins” book, which has been an incredible help over the years and that sells for $8.00. I found sometimes that starting with a less complicated recipe of making muffins and then move on to making bread integrates you into changing your diet for the better. Making small changes really does make a difference in your health and eventually you will find yourself much healthier and happier than the previous year, perhaps there will be even less of you too!

Some of the recipes we tried were Build-an-Omelet, Oatmeal Surprise, Hot Oatmeal, Mango Smoothie, Blueberry Shake, Wake up Carrot Shake, Blender Molasses Muffins (wonderful), Good Morning Muffins, Sunshine Muffins, Blender Banana Muffins, and homemade English Muffins (so soft and yummy.) I have been using her waffle and pancake blender recipe for 6 plus years and it always succeeds unless I mess with the ingredients too much. Pineapple Coffee Cake, Cowboy Coffee Cake and Almond Coffee Cake have become some of my favorites to serve for Sunday morning breakfast as they can be made the night before and reheated in the morning and served with fruit. We all go out the door full to the brim and last all through church without snacking!

I can not say enough about Sue Gregg and her way of using grains. I have yet to discover her “Meals in Minutes” cookbook or the “Lunches and Snacks”, but will do so in the near future. For those who read this and know me personally I can recommend these cookbooks as becoming a part of your weekly menu planning if you are willing to give these a try. We have even used some alternative grains with surprising results that they do not taste much different from regular grain. Please do go over to the TOS Homeschool Crew site to find out what other Crew members tried out and read their reviews too - don’t just take my word for it.

*I also just noticed on the website there is a link to download a PDF of some of this “Breakfasts” book in the new version. It will give you some idea of what you will find.* I also spied there a try out recipe for “Taco Chip Ole.” It is a great nutrition filled recipe made with tortilla chips and other yummy things like sour cream, avocado and of course some salsa and lettuce. Check it out please!!!!

Please link through this way directly to Sue Gregg’s site for some sample recipes to try out at http://www.suegregg.com/.

The Crew link is here : http://homeschoolblogger.com/homeschoolcrew/718575/

This is my opinion that I have done for the above product and have not been paid for this review.

Ultimate Womens Expo

I just attended the most amazing seminar this weekend ( http://ultimate-womens-expo.com/ ) by an awesome lady called Cindy Rushton, and the ending session was on how to eat organically and healthy on a budget. In the chat room I was sharing about the chocolate recipes I had learned to make. everyone wanted them so I am puttin them here on my blog for you to read as well, and maybe I will get a few new readers on my blog too. I found these on a website called http://www.bulkherbstore.com/ where lots of neat advice about herbs and using healthy foods are found.

I know lots of my friends both in the USA and abroad are trying to change their eating habits since our beloved Brendon died. Buying a ticket to the above seminar will give you access to a bunch of audio information from at least 10 speakers and lots of freebies in articles or audios from the speaker's websites.

Here we go:

Recipes from Bulk Herb Store at http://www.bulkherbstore.com/

chocolate Icing/Fudge on a spoon

Ingredients:
1 cup raw honey
3/4 cup coconut oil (Cold Pressed) melted
1 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup toasted pecans (optional)
Peppermint extract or essential oil (to taste)

Stir ingredients well

Option 1: Use on top of a cake for icing
Option2: Grease pan with coconut oil and then fill with mixture. Chill for Fudge on a Spoon. Put it on a spoon and then eat when chilled.

Chocolate Moose Cookies/Moose Icing

Ingredients:

1/3 cup raw coconut oil (do not melt oil)
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup raw/regular honey- regular honey is runnier
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch salt

Blend on high for 3 mins. Use fork to crush any remaining coconut oil clumps. Blend one minute more. Spoon on to cake or spoon small cookie drops onto wax paper and chill until firm.

Dark Chocolate Coconut Balls/Chocolate Energy Bar

Ingredients:

2 cups coconut flakes (not sweetened)
1 cup Cocoa powder
1 cup raw honey
1/2 cup almond butter
1 pinch of salt

Blend for 30 seconds. Scrape sides of bowl and blend again for 1 minute. Roll into small balls. rollballs in coconut. Chill.

Energy Bars: Add 1/2 cup more coconut. Press until it is about 1/2 inch thick. chill. Cut into bars.

Nutrition 101: Choose Life!

This e-book ‘Nutrition 101! Choose Life’ is a goldmine for me to review. There is so much information in this e-book that has been compiled by Debra Raybern, Sera Johnson, Laura and Karen Hopkins. These authors have learned from life and from studying their favorite topic which is nutrition and how it can benefit our bodies.
The book is divided up into 6 units of 4 chapters each. The main topics cover the Brain; the Digestive System; Respiratory, Olfactory and Visual Systems; Skeletal and Muscular system, Cardiovascular and Immune System; and the Endocrine system and emotions.
We managed to cover 3 chapters in Unit 1 about the Brain, Brain Foods and the Nervous System and how it works. My son was not very interested in me reading out all this information to him that he did not understand. We looked at the pictures and I explained some of the processes of the brain to him in easier terminology. We especially had fun drawing out his nervous system on a large life size body image of him (see pics with this post above and below).
　

After the main body of the e-book where the student has numerous experiments and food activities to participate in and which cement the information they learned, Appendix A through EE reveals information and facts on foods. A Choose Life Food Pyramid is included. I printed this out and placed it on the fridge so my son knows what he is allowed to eat.

Daily menu samples are there to read through; sample shopping lists; alkaline and acidity food lists; how to bake bread; some brief ideas on how to use Essential Oils; Natural Remedy cleaning solutions; the importance of sleep to our bodies; how to counteract cancer before it grows in our bodies; how microwaves affect our food nutrients; the 40 best foods to eat; enzyme supplementation and many, many more.

We tried out 3 recipes Guacamole (Avocado is the brain food), Greek salad(using olive oil and olives for brain food), and Potato Salad (Flax seed Oil -brain food). They were all delicious but our favorite was the Greek Salad. Everything tasted perfect and the olives just gave it the right amount of tartness and spunk to the salad.

This e-book would make an outstanding science, Home Economics, or life skills course for children from ages 10 and upwards. I feel that my son was a little too young to comprehend all the scientific names. He did like the chance to taste the recipes and helped out a little. He is not a willing helper in the kitchen!

When I first received this book I sat reading it for hours and gasping in awe at the amount of information included. This is the kind of help I needed 18 months ago when my son’s brain cancer returned. I am going to have to keep reviewing this book and print it out when I get a chance to.
The selling price for the e-book on CD ROM is currently $79.95. A copy of the printed book is $99.95. A combo price of the printed book and CD-ROM is $129.95. I would highly recommend you start saving now if you want to change the way you and your family eat. Yes you can just start eating more vegetables and fruits, but do you know what kind to eat for what symptoms or health conditions. These ladies have packed the information into this book and done all the hard work for you already. I definitely will be purchasing more of these in the future and teaching as many Moms and Dads as I can with the help of ‘Nutrition 101 Choose Life’. What I have learned from our journey with cancer in our son Brendon’s life, using nutrition and supplements and Essential Oils is all covered in this book.

If anyone you know is facing a life- threatening illness I would suggest they look on the website for more information on this book. Please go to http://www.healthyhomesllc.com/index.html . I can not say enough about this book and curriculum and feel sure I will be utilizing this for many years to come and my son will learn from it what is the absolute correct way to be eating for his future. Please click over to the Homeschool Crew review blog using the button the right side of the page to view other's comments on this fantastic book now on offer.

My goodness it is a while since I posted. My son D and I have been gearing up to start school. We have been leanring HTML still and not quite got it down yet! We have been practicing Math with some software that encourages the child to better their score each time they play.

We attended our sons grieving classes last night and he has a blast. We as parents go to another room and talk about our children that are still living and how they are coping, as well as how we face those continuous questions about how we are doing. Losing a child is one of the worst things I have ever experienced in my whole life so far. My husband and I do not understand why the Lord did not choose to heal Brendon, but are coming to terms with the fact that God knew B would only be here for 5 short years and packed as much as he could into that time. We would have done lots more fun stuff with him his last summer if we really truly knew he was going to die. We would have had more fun trips to fun places he liked to go like the zoo, and the Indiana State Museum. Possibly a trip to the Creation Museum in Cincinnati. We will probably visit there in the fall this year.

I am planning a possible balloon release for the 12th September. This is one of the days in September that will be recognized as Childrens Pediatric Cancer awareness day. We will go to the cemetary in the early evening and release some balloons with Brendon's site on it and www.curesearch.org written on it. Curesearch is an organization dedicated to doing research on all kinds of pediatric cancers without any government involvement. Of course they are getting further with their research than other cancer societies right now. I want to make people aware of how common childhood cancer is becoming and we need to raise money for research as well as taking care of some of the families who can not turn to alternative medicine like we did as they can't afford it. With the new health care bill there may be something introduced where if a child with cancer is not going to live longer than 6 months then no more treatments will be offered to the family. It is not cost effective as this person will no longer have a positive effect on the society in the future. I did not want my child to be just a number, but he was a living, breathing person and not an experiment.

If you can not make it to the cemetary in Indiana from where you are at then release a balloon from your backyard by all means with Brendon's name and caringpage site written on it. perhaps someone will find the balloon and become aware of this situation and learn something new as well as contribute. I will post more later today on the products we are reviewing for Homeschool.

General Daily Summer Life

I have not updated in a week or so as it has been a tough one. We went to Brendon's graveside last week on Thursday just to visit where his body is but not his spirit. He would have been 6 years old on July 2nd and ready to start Kindergarten. It is hard to even think that some days. I had been to a funeral that morning for another 7 year old who was affected by the same Medulloblastoma cancer that Brendon had. This little boy Peter was also a living testimony of how to survive longer even though the Doctors prognosis was really bad.

I am also going to be attending another "Healing Oils of the Bible" class given by Brendon's homeopath next week and hoping to take some other friends to it. Essential oils are amazing and whether applied to the skin or swallowed in a capsule or diffused they can change your whole environment and health. I know of another child in southern Indiana who is 'annointed' with oils daily 3- 4 times per day and her cancer is in remission and her health is phenomenal especially as her oncology doctors said she would not survive. She is still here on earth. If you live locally in Indiana and want to come to this class please email me about it.

My oldest D, is still having a hard life coming to terms with the loss of his brother, my husband is doing okay at the moment, and my little toddler A, is growing and changing daily.