May Flowers

 Happy May - Almost June!

Can we believe it is nearing the end of May and we are headed into summer? I can probably speak for many when I say that we thought this past year was never going to end, but then look. Here we are, almost halfway through 2021, and life is feeling more "normal" every day. 

This past Sunday we drove to Britt, Iowa to watch and experience my first nephew's high school graduation. What a fun, emotional (I'm not crying, you're crying!), and special time we had as a family. Toby, Carina, and Makaiya enjoyed the ceremony and were especially excited to spend some brief time with their eldest cousins. We have not seen them or spent much time with them over this past year, and it felt SO SO good to go to an event, mask free, and sit near other people without fear of proximity to one another. The band played, the choir sang, and the ceremony commenced. Congratulations to the West Hancock graduating class of 2021, and an extra special congrats to our nephew / cousin, Collin Ford! We were honored to celebrate with you! Collin is flying to San Diego on August eighth to join our US Marine Corps. My teary eyes swell with pride when I think about another family member serving our great country! Way to represent the Red, White, and Blue, Collin! You are our Real Life Superhero!

Many people ask what I eat when we travel, or how I manage my diet. That can be a little complicated, but I will throw out a few ideas here that will hopefully help you along a healthier eating journey. 

First, I have learned how to navigate the menu at a few popular "fast food" restaurants, which has been of great use during our travels. Here are a few of my go-to's:

Subway - Order a salad (no meat or cheese for me) and load on ALL of the veggies!! I eat the spinach as a base, and avoid the chopped romaine because it always smells like bleach to me, then oil and vinegar. 

Chipotle - Riced Cauliflower, Fajita Veggies, Pico, Lettuce (Power greens if they have them), and Guac.

Jimmy Johns - Veggie Sandwich, Unwich (lettuce wrap), add all of the veggies, no cheese no mayo.

Panera - Greek Salad (light feta or no feta), Dressing on the side and use the fork dip method, Apple instead of bread.

Salads at a sit down restaurant - Oil & Vinegar dressing only, and on the side please. Sometimes they will try to serve Italian Dressing because they think we may not notice the difference... Haha! I can always taste the sugars or artificial sweeteners now because I am so far removed from them. If the dressing is something I cannot eat, I just don't. Salad is actually tasty without dressing if you have a variety of veggies. They honestly do have flavors! SURPRISE! :-) 

Also, many restaurants that serve Salmon will add that to a salad if you ask. Yes, it does cost a bit more, but it is worth it for the protein.

In addition to this, I will add an extra protein smoothie in the afternoon / evening if necessary when I get home. I travel with my Ninja mixer on vacations, and bring my protein mixes along. Then, we buy Simply Almond Milk (this is the cleanest, most widely available almond milk I have found), and buy frozen berries. While it may seem like more work, it is easy for me because it is routine. I like my smoothie every morning, and I depend on it to get me through to lunch.

There is one more mention I will make, and that is a "snack bar" that I have come to love. I do not eat many processed foods, and honestly, this is a special treat that come on long car rides, etc. They are Bearded Brother's Organic Energy Bars. YUM! No Added Sugar, and Minimal Organic Ingredients. They are also sold on Amazon, but the link will take you directly to their website so you can check out all of the goodness for yourself. 

Okay - On to the flowers! Sheesh! So much to say and not enough time or space to get all of the words out! Flowers! I love flowers, gardens, planting, growing, harvesting, and everything that goes with it. Maybe 'farming' is in my blood, as my grandpa (my mom's dad) was a farmer and my uncle still is. The process is exciting and really quite fascinating to me. Have you heard the parable of the mustard seed? The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke all reference the mustard seed and how it is the smallest seed, but grows into a tree large enough for the birds to rest on and take shelter under. 

Matthew 13:31-32, Mark 40:30-32, Luke 13:18-19.

The parable in Matthew 17:20 and Luke 17:6 is that a seed, smaller than any other seed can be planted in the ground and grow into a large tree. Much like faith. If we have faith, even a teeny tiny amount of faith, God can grow our faith into a strong, large tree. Faith can eventually move mountains. This is such a simple concept, but still difficult for many. I will not say that it was easy having faith in the beginning of my journey through healing from cancer, but I can look back and see that the tiny bit I held on to has grown - A Lot. That faith is what has brought me to where I am today. There are still moments of uncertainty, but I continue to keep the faith that what God said he would do, he is doing! Remember, God's promises never change. Just like the mustard see or tiny flower seed that is planted in the soil, given the proper care and nurture they will grow and flourish into what they were designed to be. 

Let's work on our faith every day. Let it grow and once it blooms, bring joy to those around you. 

Heirloom Fern Peony from Darek's Grandma

- Happy Almost Summer -
Stay tuned for a BIG, HUGE, EXCITING announcement (well, at least I think it is) coming soon... Like, really soon....

Take time to stop and smell the flowers!

Until next time,

~Steph