Dim the lights... Here's the results

Now that I have all of you that don't watch American Idol very confused... Here are my results from my follow up Dr. appointment yesterday. It went well and the Dr. said that everything looks mostly normal... my uterus is nicely shaped (thanks?), I had over 20 mature eggs for that cycle- which she said is really great... but in all honesty my problem has never been getting pregnant but rather staying pregnant. The blood work is what I was more concerned about. Those results came back pretty much normal with the exception of the test for MTHFR or Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase. We'll stick with calling it MTHFR. Basically, MTHFR is the name of a gene that produces an enzyme that aids in the absorption of folate (folic acid). It seems that I have a slight genetic mutation of this certain gene, therefore, my body doesn't absorb folic acid as it should. Is this the definite cause of both of my MC's? There's no way to really know for sure. Regardless, the solution is to take extra folic acid daily (not just during pregnancy). Going forward, I will take my regular prenatal vitamins and prescription folic acid daily. Once I get a positive pregnancy test, I'll add baby aspirin and prescription progesterone to that. She did give us the option of doing the more thorough genetic testing but that is quite expensive and would really only tell us the chances of having another MC. She said that because of our health and family history, we really only have a 2-3% chance of something being wrong genetically. So.. that's everything for now. This process has been longer than we'd ever imagined, but we know that the end result will be more than worth it. All parents love and appreciate their children, but I am fully confident that husband and I will not take a single second of being parents for granted. Thank you for joining us in this journey and for your continued prayers.

The Green Monster

No- not this Green Monster...

 

 This one...

 

Ok, so I know what you're thinking. There is a certain ick factor to drinking a green beverage (that is apparently the same color as my kitchen walls.) But seriously- this is YUM-O! You get all of the benefits of the leafy green goodness that is spinach without the taste. Benefits like Vitamins A, C, K, iron, fiber, folate, lutein, magnesium, potassium, protein and calcium... not to mention a full serving of fruits and vegetables. Curious yet? Give it a try and I promise you will be as surprised as I was.

Ingredients
- 1 banana
- 3/4 cup of vanilla almond milk
- 1/2 cup of greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp peanut butter
- 3 handfuls of spinach (or in my case, as much as you can cram into the blender)

Directions
Blend everything together until smooth. I also blended in a handful of ice at the end to chill it. The colder it is- the more milkshake-ish it is.

I just might be incorporating this into my daily diet. It's simple, delicious and beyond healthy. Enjoy!

Something New

Yesterday was my last day in Volunteer Services at Children's and it was very bittersweet... but not for the reason I was anticipating. My day started by attending a memorial service for one of my favorite seven year olds. The service was at North Point and it was absolutely perfect. We were able to celebrate his short little life and rejoice in the fact that he is no longer restrained by his broken body and is able to run freely with Jesus.

While I knew that this would be an emotional service, I never anticipated how the Lord would use it to speak specifically to my heart as it is still healing from the loss of my own little ones. The past year of our lives has taken us down a road that we never thought we would have traveled. While there is a permanent place in my heart for our first two babies, I can rejoice that they are also with Jesus and I will get to meet them one day. I know that their brief lives are serving a greater purpose in Heaven than they would've if they were with us.

I start my new part-time schedule next week with mixed emotions. While I am excited about the thought of staying home more- I am also met with the thought that I would've been home with my sweet babies. Instead I am starting next week with the trust that God's plans are bigger than mine and the hope that our best days are ahead of us.

But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31

I posted this last summer, but now when our sweet Creed lifts his hands, his Heavenly Father is there to pick him up.

Favorite Things: Spring Edition

With the weather warming up all too quickly I find myself turning to some of my Spring-time essentials. Here are some of my must-haves:

1. Jergens Natural Glow lotion. I kissed tanning beds good-bye in college and have even been more careful about being out in the sun since I have to get 2-3 moles cut off every time I see the dermatologist. This stuff really works. I buy the "firming" kind in hopes to kill two birds with one stone.

2. Tervis Tumblers. These are a must-have for all beverages. Unlike myself, they don't sweat when sitting outside on a hot day and they also don't leave rings on your coffee table (music to my OCD ears). You can even buy ones the suit your style.

3. Self-serve yogurt shops. I love ice cream just as much as Ben & Jerry... but all of those calories begin to add up. This is why I love frozen yogurt from Menchie's, Yoforia, Pinkberry, Yogurtland, Yogli Mogli, Fruttela, Yogurberry, Jujubees, Swirlin' Twirlin'... market saturation much? You can pick your yogurt and your toppings and pay by the ounce. Chances are there is one near you with a catchy name.

4. Tankinis and one-piece swimsuits. This past year has not only taken its toll on me emotionally, but physically. These guys will be my new best friends. I love that they are considered "stylish" now instead of frumpy (score).

found here

 found here

found here

5.  Sabra Hummus- Greek Olive. In order to fit into said swimsuits, carrots and hummus have been my snack of choice lately. I'm really loving this flavor by Sabra. If you are classy and quirky like me and LOVE olives... this is a must try.

6. My Neti Pot. Ok, I know that I've mentioned this in a previous post... but this has been my lifeline with the pollen this Spring. I use it every morning and I feel like a new person. So... challenge yourself to get over the ick factor and pick up one from your local drug store today (end of infomercial).

PS. When I did a quick google image search for this, I found a few on EBay. I recommend buying a new one... just sayin.

7. Lastly, for those of you trying to plan your list of beach reads for this summer, I definitely recommend The Hunger Games. Now... I know what you're thinking- really? I begrudgingly read this to see what the hype was about and was actually surprised by how much I liked it. You should read the book before seeing the movie.. although I recommend the movie too. Next on my list are Catching Fire and Mockingjay to round out the series.

Home of the Brave(s)

Husband and I went to the Braves' game last night with the KLife crew. I brought my camera along to make high school guys get together and awkwardly smile capture the memories... as you can see below- everyone was thrilled. Nonetheless, it was a fun night and the weather was probably as glorious as it will be this whole season.

Baseball games have a hard time keeping my attention... so I played with the camera.

Permission to speak freely?

I'm not sure where the phrase "God will never give you more than you can handle" came from. When people say it, I know they mean well- but if I'm being honest I think it's one of the most false statements I've ever heard. If it really was true that God was never going to give us more than we could handle on our own... why would we need Him? Why would He possibly want to keep our circumstances so easy that they drive us further into the self-sufficient mindset of "I think I'm alright on my own"? There's no glory to be found in that for Him.

It's no secret that I love awards shows- Grammy's, Emmy's, Oscars.. you name it, I'll watch it. I love how most celebrities will acknowledge God in their acceptance speeches (whether they really mean it or they just think it sounds good). If we're honest, I think that's how most of us want to bring glory to God. We want to be the ones holding up the Oscar saying "I want to thank God for blessing me with the talent and opportunity"... or Tebowing in the end zone. We want God to use our strengths to bring Him glory- not our weaknesses. We choose not to acknowledge the fact that sometimes God will allow such pain and heatbreak to enter our world so that all we have left is to cling to His promises and glorify Him in spite of it. Unfortunately, for us- we don't get to choose because nobody would sign up for that.

This past year, we were dealt astoundingly more than we could handle and I'm thankful we did not have to handle it on our own. Our God who allowed us to experience pain and who hurts when we hurt is the same God who will remain faithful in His promises. Because of this, we know that there is glory to be found in all circumstances if we continue to fix our eyes on Him.

Easter at our casa

Our church had a 6pm service last night, so we had the opportunity to have a blissfully relaxing day today without having to leave the house. We sat around and enjoyed our coffee with the crew at Fox and Friends weekend... made some french toast...

...cleaned out our closet (OK so maybe this was only relaxing for me)... immersed ourselves in a little six hours of Sunday greatness at the Masters... and I made the classic Easter dinner of lemon garlic tilapia, roasted asparagus and baby butter potatoes. This meal is fancy enough for dinner guests but easy peasy enough for a weeknight. 

Ingredients
- 2 pc of tilapia (I use fresh, but frozen would work if you let it thaw completely)
- 1 lemon
- EVOO or olive oil cooking spray
- garlic powder, salt, pepper to taste

1. Spray clear baking dish with olive oil cooking spray so the fish doesn't stick.

2. Drizzle EVOO on top of the fish.

3. Squeeze the juice from the entire lemon on top and sprinkle salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste.

4. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes.

*I spread the asparagus and potatoes on a cookie sheet sprayed with olive oil cooking spray. I seasoned them both with EVOO and coarse salt and roasted at 400 for 30 minutes for the potatoes and 15 minutes for the asparagus. Everything can go in the oven at the same time- just keep an eye on the clock.

OK, so we did have a little Easter treat courtesy of mom and dad King.

Hope

I can only imagine what Mary, the mother of Jesus was going through 2,000 years ago. The world viewed him as a prophet and a healer. The disciples viewed him as their teacher and leader, but to Mary- he was her son. She probably took care of his splinters and skinned knees as a little boy and cooked for him when he was sick. Now, when He was hanging on a Roman cross while suffering the most unfathomable pain- there was nothing she could do about it but watch, pray and hope. Watch him die, pray for peace and hope that he was right and that she would see him again. Right then, she didn't witness the biggest miracle in mankind.... she was a mother that witnessed the death of her son. 

Mary's heart didn't have to be broken for too long even though three days probably felt like years. He was right and death could not hold Him. She did see Him again and so did the world. So does the world.  Easter isn't about celebrating the death and resurrection of Jesus- it's about the hope that came with it. It's because of this hope that we know we can take God at His word and trust that He's with us through our darkest days while knowing that He is light.

This picture was taken at the top of the only mountain I've ever climbed at Frontier Ranch in CO.

A tradition unlike any other

Husband and I went to the Masters practice round on Monday. It was cool 93 degrees on April 2, but it was glorious outside. The only casualties from the day were the azaleas. Our hot as blazes unseasonably warm spring made them all bloom early which meant not a single one was left. Here are some pictures from the day.

Here is "the picture".

...and here is the line we stood in to take it.

I opted for egg salad in lieu of the classic pimento cheese.

Husband got the BBQ.

 

Amen Corner

 

Vijay Singh and Angel Cabrera

The Clemson crew- Jonathan Byrd and Lucas Glover

Overlooking the 18th fairway