Later First Grade!

Okay....I'm going to admit it.  The years are FLYING by.  I know they are going to, I know it, but the reality that another year has come and gone and this kid is now a 2nd Grader is amazing.  Guys, both my girls are in elementary school!  I am no longer a MOPS mom!  Say What??!!!??

I just sent this amazing young woman with her Grandma and Grandapa as they head back to Florida. Shes so big, she is so bold, she is so fearless about flying away on adventures.  That's my girl!

First grade was amazing for Lily for a lot of reasons.  First off, Lily had Ms. Kim Balanoff as her teacher.  This woman is spectacular and amazing.  Her love for teaching might only be matched by her love for these kids.  Lily and Ms. B hit it off because Lily LOVES to learn and ask questions, and Kim LOVES to teach.  Its a match made in heaven, and this woman is one of those extra special ones!

The second reason is this woman below. There are some changes on the horizon for RMRE, and one of them is saying goodbye to Mrs. Sarah Collins, the principal.  We have loved her and her love for educating and administration is undeniable.  This principal knows Lily....even out of hundreds of kids, THAT is amazing.  She will be missed.

This year Lily learned a lot about friends and that girls are drama.  We had a lot of tears and conversations as Lily began to learn that not all friendships are beneficial, and some take more work than others.  That said, Lily had some amazing times with the kids in her class.  

Lily's last day was full of fun and parties.  Evie and I got to spend an hour in her class playing and saying goodbye to everyone.  It was a silly and fun time.

Lily is well on her way to 2nd grade and Bob and I couldn't be prouder or happier for her.  She is a smart girl with brilliant ideas and a heart open to knowledge.  As Buzz Lightyear would say...."To infinity.....AND BEYOND!

So long First Grade!

Goodbye Pre K!

Well folks....SHE DID IT!  

Evie Frances graduated from Preschool and is now on the bonafide list for Kindergarten. Woooooo hoooooo!!  Even more amazing? Bob and I did it!  We got 2 kids out of diapers, through the toddler years and into elementary school! Huzza! Winning! Next time you see us......HIGH FIVES!!!

I will not lie.  This goodbye was hard.....for all of us.  I have never cried once at my girls growing up, but I might have shed a tear for no longer having kids at RMUMC The Preschool.  These teachers, this place......there are not enough ways for me to tell you how incredible it all is......was.......no, I will not cry.  I don't want more babies.......but this school kind of makes me wish I had another kid.......kind of.......

The women who educate, administer, and love on kids here are true superheros and quite possibly saints. They are amazing and wonderful and will forever have a mark on both my girls lives.  The experience here has been life giving and so rewarding.  They have taken my fearless, bold, precocious, and spicy child and have molded her into a student.  She has all the spunk she has always had, with just a little more ability to not throw sand, sit on boys heads, or moon the class.  Evie done grew up y'all, and this school have hero status in the Longmire home.

Mrs. H is the principal here at the Preschool and she and I had a blast knowing one another.  She graduated from Holy Family High School, and I graduated from Faith Christian.  We were rivals, in Colorado, 3 years apart.  So fun to have some connection to this woman who leads my kids.

Evie Bee is amazing and full of life. Everything about her is sunshine and her personality rivals most.

One of her last projects for the year was this little gem.  Her hand prints are everywhere in our house and I think this one is one of my favorites.

It's time to move on and move up in the world.  It's time to go to Kindergarten. My girls little lives are moving fast and yet I can only sit here and be proud!  My little birdies are learning to fly!

 

Congrats Evie Frances....YOU ARE A KINDERGARTNER!

MTHFR SIBO

No, I didn't just swear at you and then write a bunch of letters. This lovely blog post is yet another installment in the long and arduous series that I sometimes contribute to about the health journey I am on.  Guys, this has been a roller coaster.  This has been an up and down, deep deep digging fight that is challenging me in more than a few ways.  Never underestimate the power of your health.

So lets see.....I think last time I talked about this I was arguably feeling like I had found my solutions.  I was working with Dawn on my diet, eating a ton of protein, eggs, greek yogurt, good carbs, and working in the gym 3-4 days a week. I was also using Progesterone, digestive enzymes and an adrenal support.  I was feeling on the right path.

 But here is the truth.  I wasn't. I wasn't trimming down, visibly changing my body, or truly feeling amazing even with the strong attention to diet and consistent work in the gym. When you run 4 days a week, train in the gym 3-4 days a week, and take yoga 2-3 times a week AND you are intentional about your diet, you SHOULD see changes! Right?  Not me.  Yes, I was feeling stronger....I was, but the nagging misery of gut issues including bloating, gas, cravings, constipation, and diarrhea (yep....still had it all) plagued me constantly.  I kept on keeping on feeling that through will power, the power of positive thinking, and the want to feel strong and lean I was going to get there. I was taking progesterone, I was taking my supplements, I was working.....why? Why was this still a struggle.

6 weeks ago I made the aggressive decision to switch Doctors to another functional medicine Doctor.  The same one who helped Evie.  After a year of working with my other Doc it was a big switch, but one I felt I needed to make. I needed a fresh face.

4 weeks ago I went to see Dr.Jessie. So frustrated, and after listening to my long story she recommended some BIG things:

• Stop trying to cut out foods until we know based on an IGG blood test what your body doesn't like
• Stop the Progesterone......issues are in your gut, and the gut participates in hormones....in other words Progesterone my be helping alleviate some of the symptoms.....but its not solving stuff. 
• Test for the MTHFR mutation - a genetic mutation.....really fascinating.....all about detoxifying 
• Get blood work done....a LOT

AND

• A Stool Test......this was the BEST thing I ever did for myself. 

So I did all of the above and then I had to wait.  I had to stop everything for the testing and that is an abrupt change.  Last month was hard, but for the first time in a while I felt on the right path.  Maybe just maybe.......

I finally got all of the results and was astounded.  I have a small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), I have 2 mutations of the MTHFR gene, and because of all of this I don't process fats and carbs well at all (my cholesterol is extremely low even with my high fat diet!).  My Doc described SIBO as "too many cooks in the kitchen."  Gut bacteria is vital, and controls so much of our body's health, too much gut bacteria from an inability to detoxify, antibiotics, stress, irritable foods etc....and you have a bacteria problem...You have SIBO!

Added onto all of this was the IGG test.  Based on my blood, my body is not happy with eggs, dairy, gluten, and baker's yeast.  EGGS guys.........I have lived off eggs for the past several years.  They are currently the most irritable food for my gut!

As for that MTHFR gene, I am still working on trying to understand all that it does.   In a nutshell, the MTHFR gene is a critical genetic function that impacts everything from digestion, to nutrient absorption and on and on. Not only do I have 1 mutation, but 2 forms of the mutation.  This is HUGE.  Much of my struggles have come from a genetic level and THERE IS HOPE! The mutation does not allow my body to convert Folic Acid to its usable form Folate.  Folate is majorly important for our bodies (Mommas remember docs telling us to take a prenatal with folic acid?). So when I ingest folic acid my body works at about a 20% efficiency converting it to folate.  Trouble when you are demanding such high effort from your body physically and ingesting foods that are harder to digest.  It all comes together to wreak havoc, and I finally have some direction!  Hip, Hip, HOORAY!

So....life is looking a whole lot different as I embrace a more vegan lifestyle, more yoga, less intensity, and more peace.  This is a new chapter in this health journey, and I am hopeful that I have finally found the right direction. I am determined to find my solutions and discover the best way to live, eat, and exercise to feel and be my best happy self!

Hot as Hell Half, and the Colfax Urban 10

What a weekend it was!  I was in Colorado photographing a wedding and Bob was holding the fort down at home.  

In true Bethany fashion, I signed us up for races too.  I was invited to this inaugural race in Tempe called the Hot as Hell Half Marathon Trail Run.  It was brand new and cheap to sign up so, of course, who wouldn't?  I had planned for both Bob and I to do it, but then one of my lovely brides had to change her wedding date and I had to bail. Never one to miss an opportunity to race though I found myself a race in Colorado to do!

Bob had a BLAST running the Hot as Hell Half, and I was so proud of him for doing it.  He orchestrated childcare and got himself to the start line.   Meanwhile back in CO I was wrestling with rain and 45 degrees.

Bob said the run was hot.....as hell.....funny how aptly it was named, but a BLAST.  One of our triathlon friends Ashley ran in my place and of course came across the finish in the top 5 overall women (she's kind of a big deal).

And BOB!  Man the guy can run.....and look at those abs.....mmmmmm.....but I digress.  He came in 2nd in his age group and 10th overall!  Holy buckets.  Next year I want to do this one, but for now I am just really glad Bob got to do it!

Meanwhile over in CO I was trying to figure out how many layers I was going to wear to manage the rain and cold that was hovering over Denver.  For 4 days I felt like I was in Seattle!

I love the Colfax races because you get to see so much of the City.  The Urban 10 mile race was a perfect distance for me given the altitude and the fact that I was on my feet all day shooting a wedding the day before.

We started in the rain and I loved every second of the race.  We went past so many places that I grew up with and I truly felt like I was visiting my past.  

My favorite part about the race is that we get to run around the Bronco's Stadium.  Right on the field.  It is so much fun!

Because of all the rain, everything was green and lush and gorgeous.  Denver was spectacular and the race was a BLAST! I had no time goal and didn't even wear my watch. 

Although we were apart we did our racing thing "together" and both had a blast! 

River Running!

Well folks, we Longmires have found ourselves a new summer hobby, River Runnin! Every year the Salt River opens up to the infamous Tubing business, and it tends to be lit up with lots of alcohol, inebriated people, teeny tiny swimsuits, and frat style partying.  Needless to say, its not exactly our cup of tea at the moment, so we haven't ever considered river runnin!  Enter my friend Bridgit who introduced us to the "other side" of the river (the section after the tubers!)  and kayaks!  What a blast!

Any free Sunday that we have you can now find us out on the river.  We bring snacks, drinks, and sunscreen and spend a good 3 hours floatin downstream, stopping to jump off rocks, and ride the raging rapids (okay, their not raging,,,,,more like quicker moving current).

We took Grandpa when he came to visit a couple weeks ago and he even said it was worth giving up golf for!  WOW!

Two weekends ago we got to take our new buddies Ashley and Taylor out for their first time down the river with their kids and new kayak.  It was perfect and Ashley was amazed at how all of the kids boat hop and it all works out just perfect!

We managed to get ourselves connected with a host of other friends floating the river and had a blast jumping off rocks together and having a good time.

Its always an adventure on the Salt including the luxury of seening wild horses!  Usually you don't get really close to them, but this guy here was bold.  He did not move while we passed him and when we looked off to the distant shore we saw why....a baby hiding behind Mom!  

Sometimes i have to stop and pinch myself knowing that this adventure is literally 15 minutes from my house.  We love it, and love bringing any friends and family who want to go. River running is an awesome addition to our summer activities!

So Long, Goodbye, Buenas Dias!

Evie had her final spring program with The Preschool this past week.  I planned poorly and ended up needing to leave for Colorado the day of, but Evie kept reminding me. "It's okay Mommy, I still love you!" Cue the tears.

We love this preschool. It has been the biggest blessing for us.  Lily and Evie have both found their place, their voice, and their confidence here, and although it is time to grow up, I really don't wanna!  Every single teacher is phenomenal, graceful, and worth celebrating.  Evie has bloomed this year, and while I would love to keep her little a little while longer, she is ready for Kindergarten.

Miss Evie lost her best friend Hayden this spring when she moved back to Texas with her family.  It was a hard loss, but Evie soon found her new set of friends.  There is not a day that goes by that I do not hear about some shenanigans with Rhylee, Greyson, Paul Henry, Nico and every other kid in her class.  One thing is true, Evie's got friends!

Bob was amazing and took videos of all her songs for me.  I am so grateful because eventhough I wasn't there this year, I felt a little bit like I was.  Evie is amazing and the little Bee brings such life.

Seasons come and seasons go. I thank Jesus every day for this season of learning, laughter, and joy for Evie.  She has become a true student and is loved by all who know her.  Mrs. Foster and Mrs. Pennington are two women that I am blessed to say have had a big impact on Evie's life.  

We will miss The Preschool, but alas, next season is upon us!