Celebrating.

At work today, my team did some celebrating. We really enjoy celebrating together - both our triumphs and our failures. :) We celebrated our time together as a team and reflected on projects, accomplishments, almost-accomplishments, and fun 'together' times. We also celebrated those in the summer birthday club, since we will be scattered around on different assignments this summer. As a member of the summer birthday club yet on this crazy new meal plan journey...I was extremely blessed that my team navigated through the things I can and cannot eat to make me treats that I could enjoy. Ice cream? Cake? Fantastic! The game was simply the icing on the cake. (Pun slightly intended)

What was one of your most favorite celebrations?

Day 23 | Upswing

Day 23. Really? It definitely hasn't "gone by so fast", yet the time doesn't seem to be dragging by either.

Yesterday, I had two realizations:

1. The tree pollen counts are beginning to go up, up, up.

2. The people around me are beginning to noticeably stuffer from the environmental allergens awakening from their winter slumber.

Well...I suppose I had three realizations.

3. I am fine.

After all these years of suffering, my mind is having a hard time believing it. Something like this just doesn't go away. But, my body is proof. No headaches. No sniffy nose. Hallelujah, I can breathe!

Of course, these realizations don't make the day-to-day easier. The realizations keep me in focus of why I am radically changing what I eat and how I prepare it.

I have enjoyed, though, the rekindled creativity that this new endeavor has aided. Twenty-three days with no french fries? Enter...jicama fries!

...I may or may not have eaten the whole thing at once.

Day 14 | Honesty

Two whole weeks of this crazy new meal plan. Fortunately, tears haven't been shed since day two. However, I am getting some crazy cravings for brownies. (Please talk to me if you can make a yummy GF and no sugar oozy gooey brownie.)

A few people have been asking if I can tell a difference yet or if it seems to be helping. To be honest....yes, unfortunately yes. Yes, that's right - I indeed was secretly hoping this meal plan wouldn't work. Why? Well duh, then I could go back go eating the yummies I love.

Alas, I do feel better. I have more energy. There are a few other symptoms that I'm noticing are lessening. The big test will come mid- to late-May...high tide of allergy season for me. Most importantly for now, "me" is starting to come back. I am realizing now how cruddy I was feeling. It creeped up there all sly-like, and now that it's going away, I can see the impact it was having.

Hmmmm. Makes me think of other cruddy things in my life, like sin...all sly-like sometimes. Hmmmm.

On another note...um the weather today? Gorgeous! Moses and I enjoyed the sunshine. I read while he chased the squirrels. (I think one squirrel started cussing Moses out...he was squawking! Seriously, have you ever heard a squirrel squawk?