Little Sis

Life is so different!

Can we just take a few minutes to say how much life is so different? Somehow I blinked and the girls finished their 10th grade and 8th grade school years.

This past spring, life was a blur. I’m excited to be back and start sharing about our family adventures once again. Life is just so different now. Have I already said that? Yes, I’m sorry. I am cherishing every moment as the girls continue to get older and we all four are not together as often. It’s hard!

M is working full-time this summer at good ole Tweetsie Railroad. We have visited many times, and I intend to write more posts this summer about our adventures at Tweetsie. M is a Tweetsie Clogger which is the perfect summer job for her.

Recently, Tweetsie’s Facebook’s page posted a video of a song of one of her shows. You will have to check it out. L loves their animal farm in which she can feed the animals.

Speaking of L, we have been fighting for insurance to cover her formula but we do have good news on the food trial fronts. I will do a post this week updating you on her progress.

This past Spring, I have struggled with what I should share on this blog since the girls are now getting older. Family time means everything to me, so I want to share ways that families can still stay connected when teenagers are in the house. Also, I am going to start sharing the allergy-friendly foods that we have been enjoying over the past little bit.

We hope you all are doing well and wish you a wonderful new week!

Love and Blessings –

Momma Jen

We embrace fall with open arms!

Fall brings out all the feels. My girls will never be too old to pick out a pumpkin and put their own creativity into carving the said pumpkin. I’m so excited about this time of year. There is something about the magic and joy during the holiday season. We do not focus on the stress of medical happenings with the family, instead, we focus on creating family memories.

Let it be said that I walked around the pumpkin patch thinking that once upon a time my girls were babies and now they are nearly full grown. Life brings you full circle in so many different ways. The girls needed my help just a few years ago to finish the carvings of their pumpkin and now all they need me to do is take a picture. Think about that for a moment. Life goes fast. Cherish each moment.

Only a few more days left for the wolf to chase the sunshine, and then we have to toss the pumpkins. Never fear though as it will be time to deck the halls indoors and outdoors.

Happy fall, y’all!

L receives the BEST birthday present!

Our blue-eyed girl is 14 today!

I was so honored to take a vacation day from work to see all the progress L has made with horse therapy (update coming soon). This extra time also allowed me to spend one-on-one time with L.

Hubby and I are so proud of the strength our girl displays on a daily basis. These last three years living with eosinophilic esophagitis have been a hard road for L to travel. Her faith remains strong and it is not unusual for us to find L reading her Bible and praying in her room at all different times of the day. Another huge blessing is her beautiful singing. She will record herself singing for the Lord. Her videos are spreading joy to many.

Happy Birthday, L! You are writing an amazing story and your testimony is going to help many in this world.

L received the best birthday present this year. She finally has a safe food again! Her scope a week and a half showed zero eosinophils. This means that L passed her garbanzo bean trial. Stay tuned for a flatbread recipe and food haul.

Since L can only have her Neocate formula and garbanzo beans, I had to put my thinking cap on what to do for her birthday cake. Our local Dollar General stocks candy corn cotton candy which is all artificial and safe for children on elemental diets. I used four containers and created a round “cake.”

Mom, Dad, and Madi love you to the moon and back, L!

Horse (Equine) Therapy Brings a Smile to L’s Face!

Do you see that smile on our L’s face? That smile is priceless! We are coming up on the three-year mark of L’s diagnosis of eosinophilic esophagitis. The last three years of living on formula only and failed food trials have caused great anxiety to L. This past Spring, she was diagnosed with sensory processing disorder. Our sweet girl’s body is going through so much. Before her diagnosis, horse therapy was not even on my radar. If you do a quick google search, you will see horse therapy has been around for ages. The therapy works for patients dealing with chronic illnesses, autism, sensory processing disorder, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, and the list continues onward.

The progress in L is amazing. She is learning how to deal with her anxiety and sensory issues. The doctors hope that by getting these two things under control, she will be able to tackle food trials better and not be scared to move forward with trying new foods. When I came home from work this evening, L greeted me at the door and talked non-stop about her therapy session. The joy in her voice proves how much the therapy is working. Also, her therapist has created a great bond with L which was huge for us. L does not let her guard down often but we see how she beams with the therapist.

Most insurancesÂ will cover this type of therapy under occupational therapy. Start a conversation with your child’s medical professional and then talk to your insurance. We will continue to update about progress, but at this moment, I am a very happy mom to see my daughter smiling so much again. Feel free to reach out with any questions.

We continue to pray each night in our family prayers that L will see a cure soon!

Starting the School Year with New Study Areas!

This is a sponsored post with Big Lots. All thoughts and opinions are of my own.

Where did the summer go? It seemed we blinked and the summer flashed before our eyes. Our Madi girl had an amazing cultural exchange overseas. She brought back the best souvenir – a picture in her signature pose.

What an amazing trip for her to experience another culture. She is still talking about all the differences from America. While she was gone, we teamed up with Big Lots to do room makeovers for her and L’s room.

M and L have been eager to re-decorate their bedrooms to fit all their study needs, especially with school around the corner! Big Lots has been our store for decor items for years. We were excited to hear about their store makeover. Once we walked in, my husband was the first to say how he loved the new clean and wider aisles. A customer service associate came right up to us to help us decide on the perfect furniture for each girl.

The decor is appealing to teenagers and also has a clean feel. Madi is our decoratorÂ at heart, but it was fun for L and me to pick out items for her bedroom for the big surprise once she made it back to the states.

I know what you all may be thinking – do we have to put the furniture together? Seriously, the girls’ desks were so easy to put together. It may have taken all of 30 minutes to put the desks together. The shelves we picked for L’s room were more of a challenge but still no more than 45 minutes.

Are you ready for the reveal? Drumroll please…..

The girls are fighting over L’s nice comfy white chair. I believe I am going to make another Big Lot’s run to surprise M with her own reading chair.

I love the wall decor, I love the clean feeling, I love the colors – it all just makes their bedrooms a brighter area with great organization. This school year is already starting off on a positive note. We are excited for our daughters to feel ready for school thanks to Big Lots!

On another positive note, you will not break the bank to do a room makeover for your child!

Little Sis

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