Allergic to..........

Well folks, it's done.

This morning we took little Nicholas in for his allergy skin test and let me tell you, he did wonderful, yes he was not happy while it was happening and did say OW twice but overall, he was great.

I think it's true what they say, it's always harder on the parents, we're the ones sitting there going "Oh Oh, needles near my child, can we NOT do this?"  But we also know when we have to step back and let it happen because the outcome far outweighs the short period of uncertainty.

Now I know a lot of you are familiar with the test, I on the other hand wasn't,  so I took pictures.  Of course.  Mainly because Nicholas actually asked me to so he could see what his back looked liked, but I also thought, hey if I'm there and I have a camera, I can blog about it later and maybe put another parent's mind at ease or give them an idea of what to expect?



They start by wiping the back down and writing all these different numbers on it.  There are 50 things that he is tested for, so 50 needles that need to be poked on his skin.



They try to do 5 at a time, but with the little kids it's harder, especially on the lower back, so they have to do individual ones too.  The only time he really said it hurt ws when they were doing it near his spine and that's understandable, we know how painful and sensitive that area is.



And then the waiting begins.  15 minutes we have to wait and see what happens, he is not allowed to itch, I think that was the hardest part for him.



I know it looks awful but truly, it looks worse than it is.  Call me crazy but seeing some of those actually react and turn bright red brought me some relief.   It's awful to think that your child may be allergic to something but you have no idea what and really I didn't want to walk out of there knowing nothing and being right back where we began.



He got to color in and hang out while we waited it out and then just like that the 15 minutes were up.

The next step is for the nurse to take a little glass slide and go in and measure the hives. 



So when all is said and done, he actually didn't do too bad at all, wasn't allergic to too many things, unfortunately some of the things he IS allergic to are things that are all around us on this base and it now explains why he hasn't been doing that great since we moved to Arizona from Idaho.


What he is allergic to:

Red Alder Trees
Mesquite Trees - which are all over this base and of which we will have one in our new house backyard
Palm Trees - which are all over this base too and which we have two of in the front yard of the new house
Burning Bush Weed
Lambs Quarters Weed
Pigweed/Careless Mix Weed
Cockroaches Mix

Of all those, the cockroaches just grossed me out...UGH.

He prescribed him Nasonex and I guess we'll be using that when he's showing the allergy symptoms.

It is kinda hard in a way, at least we know what to expect but our new house down the street has both trees in the front and back yards which is going to make it very hard for him to be comfortable.  Guess he can't play out back and he can't play out front LOL

We'll see if we can get a different house but if not, we'll make do and treat the allergy symptoms, as it is we're just hoping for orders out of here even sooner than later.  

I'm just glad that everything is over and done with

Shabby Apple Review

Have you heard of Shabby Apple?



I was recently contacted by the kind folks at Shabby Apple and asked if I would be interested in reviewing one of their dresses.

First let me say, I'm a Stay at Home Mom and my wardrobe consists of jeans and flip flops, or shorts and tank tops.  Even when we go out somewhere I don't really dress up, I guess I just don't have the time for that and I too often choose comfort over anything else.

I thought this would be fun to do, to actually get a pretty dress to wear and of course I'm waiting for the perfect opportunity to wear it out, but I couldn't just receive it and not try it on and take some photos.  Most of all I wanted to see just how comfortable it was and boy was I surprised.

Not only is it one of the most comfortable dresses I've ever worn, but it fits perfectly and falls just right on my body.

So, the dress:

Crepe de Chine Silk
Forbidden City

Let me begin by saying that sizing charts scare me, I mean, they just terrify me enough to keep me away from online ordering of clothes.  I don't want to pay a bunch of money and be left with something that doesn't fall right.

One thing I noticed about Shabby Apple is that they make returns and exchanges free and easy. 

Another great thing about the Shabby Apple Dresses is that they're made so you don't have to worry about wearing camisoles or cardigans to feel modest.  There's no such thing as showing too much, but yet, they are sexy and adorable and I think if you like vintage style dresses, you will definitely find something you like in their selections.

With cute titled categories such as South Pacific, Up and Away, The Berkshires and Yosemite, you will have a lot to browse through and will most likely find yourself going oooh and ahhh like I did.

Do you know that they have the most amazing Retro Swimsuits too?  Guess where I'll be buying mine for this summer?   Oh and Aprons, yes, oh yes, aprons too.

Matter of fact this dress is so comfortable that I couldn't help jumping for joy.  Now to find a place to wear it out to. 

Thank you again to the wonderful folks over at Shabby Apple for this great opportunity. 

Cooking Thursday - #6 February 4

Chicken a la King

1 lb shredded chicken ( I buy the big bags of Tasty Bird drumsticks or thighs and then shred them)
 olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
Mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, diced
Heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
1 bay leaf

In a big stock pot, fill halfway with water and add the chicken thighs or drumsticks.  Boil until chicken is cooked through, once done, remove chicken to a bowl, let cool down and then shred.  Don't throw out the stock, we'll be using it.

Now I like serving my chicken a la king with rice, so in a microwave rice cooker, I add 3 cups of the chicken stock, a little bit of salt and 1 1/2 cups of rice.  Cook it on HIGH for 6 minutes, then cook for another 15 minutes on MEDIUM.  Gives you nice clumpy steamed rice.

Back to the chicken.  In a cast iron pan or a skillet (I prefer my cast iron though), add a little bit of olive oil to the bottom.  Add the onion and garlic and cook stirring frequently until onion is transparent, using a ladle, add a little of the stock and stir well.

Add the rest of the veggies....the mushrooms, green pepper and carrots.  Season with salt and pepper and the bay leaf, stir well and add a little more chicken stock.  Simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes until the veggies are cooked, remember to keep checking and adding a little stock at a time, you don't want it to burn and you don't want it to dry out either.

Once the veggies are done, add the shredded chicken. 

Cook for another 5 minutes, then add about 2 cups of heavy cream, turn the heat down and simmer for just a few minutes for it to thicken. 

I like making mine a little thicker, so I save a bit of the heavy cream, pour it into a small bowl, add about a tablespoon or 2 of flour, whisk well then add to the pot and stir well until it's as thick as I want it.

Remove the bay leave and serve over the rice.  Enjoy!

{ Yarn Along }

If you know me, you will know that two of my favorite things are books and yarn.  Matter of fact you can always count on finding one or both very near me at all times.

When I came across the blog Simple Things, one of the things that caught my eye was that the author seems to love yarn and books as much as I do, then I noticed that every Wednesday she has this great feature called "Yarn Along" in which you post a picture of your yarn along with the current book you're reading.

So I've decided to join in every week, I think I'll really enjoy playing along and visiting all the participants.

For today's Yarn Along you can visit here.



I just received these two books in the mail and have already started These is My Words.  I am absolutely loving it, it's just my kind of book, it is a little hard in the beginning with the words and the way it's written but in no time I was well underway and not even noticing anymore.



I also received Sarah's Quilt which is the sequel to These Is My Words.  I can't wait to read that one too.



As for my yarn, I'm still slowly working through my African Flower Crochet Blanket, it is gorgeous and so soft and I'm just in love, I only wish I had more hours in the day to get more done.

If you want to join in, remember to go visit Ginny at Small Things and add your link to the list.  Just snap a pic of what you're currently reading and knitting/crocheting/sewing, remember ONE picture of them together and then talk about it or not. 

He brings me peace and joy

My husband is by far the best thing that has ever happened to me.  There is just no doubt in my mind that I am one of the luckiest women on earth to have snatched up such an amazing man.

I have had a bit of a hard time lately, there has been a lot going on which has brought me sadness and hurt and has left me broken at times, vulnerable and weak.

If it weren't for my faith and the belief that not only does the Lord only give me what I can handle, but, that he is also taking care of me and will see me through these obstacles, I don't know if I would have been able to continue with a smile on my face.

But that is exactly what I do.  I smile, oh I complain too and I whine and I vent but usually it happens for 5 minutes after I find out something that I don't like.  It's normal, it's human nature, no one likes being tested, no one likes hearing sad news but it's how we get through these times that matters.

Truth be told, the curve balls that life has thrown my way over the years, has made me into the woman I am today and I thank the Lord every single day for that.

I don't even know where exactly I'm going with this post other than to say that I love my husband and that his strength and his love continues to see me through it all.

He does things that for some may seem small but to me are the biggest display of affection, of the love he has for me and when you have that in your life, you know that you can conquer anything.

He adores me and he finds my love for photography a cute thing. He is my biggest supporter in everything that I do and so, with that in mind, he decided to give me a present for which he had been saving for a while.

A new camera, my newest baby, my current obsession. My Canon EOS Rebel T2i.  It's a beauty and he knows how much I use my cameras, I am constantly taking photos, so he says this is a good investment because it will get put to good use.  He knows me well.

It's a little intimidating, I mean this camera has some power behind it and I feel a little like a fish out of water, but I'm forcing myself to use it in the Aperture and Shutter Priority settings, totally going out of my comfort zone but I feel that if I can conquer those, I'll be good to go.

But with all this rambling I forgot to tell you what has been going on around here.  

Well I took Nicholas to the allergist this morning and he has set up an appointment for Thursday morning for the skin test, we will finally find out what he is allergic too and that is such a relief for me.

On Wednesday night we will find out where we're moving to and when we're moving.  I can't wait because as much as I hate the idea of having to leave our house and move yet again, I also just want to get it over and done with.  There's nothing worse than sitting in a home in shambles, boxes everywhere and not knowing exactly where you're heading.

In between all of that, I've had a good cry here and there because of some family stuff we're dealing with and I thank you all for the prayers you have showered upon my family, we are ever so thankful and so touched.  Maybe one day I will be able to share more with you but for now, I can't and I want to respect my family.

So that's what is going on, this is me, just pushing and plodding along from day to day, surrounded by laundry and homeschooling, cooking and packing, crying and laughing, busyness and laziness, but always determined to not let things get me down.

I'm an optimist, I'm a realist and I'm a worrier, but most of all, I'm a child of God and I prefer....or rather....choose, to take one day at at time and to not overwhelm myself with negativity and thoughts of things that I can not change.