Birthday Reflections, a New Addition and a Menu Plan

Can you believe Thanksgiving is almost here?  Seriously, where has the time gone?

I’m either having too much fun or I’m getting too darned old.

Birthday Reflections

I love Maxine, her attitude is a reflection of my own when it comes to birthdays so when I saw this particular quote, I thought it was the perfect fit for me.  As I sat here looking back upon my 28 years of life (you believe that right?), I had an epiphany.

This is the first year in my collective memory that I’ve not had a major health crisis.  In fact, outside of going to see Dr. Vikki Petersen and having my sinus surgery in February…I only had to see my medical specialists a couple times this year and both were for routine checkups that I passed with flying colors.

I’m not even sure I can fully wrap my brain around that fact.

I have spent the past 3 1/2 decades loathing the body I was given.  Feeling as though I were some kind of genetic anomaly, doomed from the start and living on borrowed time.  Talk about glass half empty!  The irony of that is, I love life and I’m so thankful to be here, to have a wonderful husband and two beautiful boys.  Yet I would always allow my pessimistic attitude regarding my health to get in the way of truly experiencing all the beauty life has to offer.

It was my utter fear of death and not being around to watch my children grow up and chase their dreams that fueled my obsession to understand the atrocious power of gluten to eat away at my bodily tissues, silently stealing my life from me.

Where I used to curse the day I was diagnosed with celiac disease, I now see it as one of my life’s most beautiful gifts.

I now feel like my body is working for me and not against me.

I feel better than I have in years, and I find it ironic that as I celebrate becoming another year older, I am starting to feel young again! 😀

Most Unhelpful Menu Plan Ever

Monday: Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup (recipe to come) and Salad

Tuesday: Leftover soup for my guys – girls night out for mom to see Twilight Breaking Dawn

Wednesday:  Thanksgiving Prep by day – Dinner Date with Hubby by night

Thursday: Turkey Day and Heidi’s Birthday 

*Sad fact: I turned 21 on Thanksgiving…all the bars were closed!

Friday: Leftovers

Saturday: Leftovers

Sunday: Leftovers

 

A New Addition

Lastly, I am very excited to welcome a new contributor here at Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom.  Emily Kaufman is president of Emport, LLC which is the U.S. distributor of GlutenTox Home gluten test kits.  Many of you may already know of Emily, she’s the wit behind the blog over at  Triumph Dining.  Tomorrow will be Emily’s first post, so please give her a warm welcome!

Here are just a couple of Emily’s articles over at Triumph Dining that I encourage you to read:

Vitamin A Worsens Gluten’s Inflammatory Effect for Celiacs

Tax Deductions for Celiacs: Worth It?