The real reason we went to Florida.

Alright, so by now, most of you have figured out that our vacation to Florida wasn't actually a vacation. Sure, we visited Sea World, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Downtown Disney, but for the other 6 days, we were at a chiropractor's office in Florida.

Yup. We took our whole family down to see a chiropractor in Florida. Crazy, right?

Yup. I know. This is why we didn't tell many people that we were going. It was crazy, even to us.

I really should give a bit of a back story. When Gavin was diagnosed with all his food sensitivities, I felt helpless and overwhelmed. He seemed to be getting sicker and sicker. He had really dark purple under eye circles, a sign that his body was working hard, all the time. He napped for 3 hours every afternoon and still went to bed at 7 pm. As much as I enjoyed this long nap, I knew this wasn't normal for a 3.5 year old. He was itchy all the time, scratching at an invisible rash until he bled. He complained of a sore tummy all the time and had diarrhea more often than not. Sometimes he would just lay on the couch and cry because he was in so much pain. It was impossibly hard. I felt so helpless.

We'd heard about Dr. Fuller from close friends of ours who had visited him a few years ago. A few of my dieters had also been to Florida to be treated, so we had heard about Dr. Fuller for a few years, from a few different people. After Gavin was diagnosed, I had three different people mention him to me, so we took that as a sign, prayed about it and decided that this was something we needed to do. It all happened really fast. It was a big leap, but we knew if we didn't go, we'd always wonder, "what if..."

Because we flew with Allegiant, our flight options were limited to Saturdays and Wednesdays. We decided to go from Jan 12-23. We actually wound up leaving on Jan 11 and spent the night in Grand Forks just to be sure that we wouldn't miss our flight because of the huge snow storm that was predicted to hit. I'm glad we went with our gut feelings on this one, because it was pretty nasty driving.

I was a little, okay a lot, worried about the flight. I wasn't sure how the children would fly, and I don't fly well because my ears hurt. But, thanks to many prayers from people, the flight was fantastic. The kids were all amazing and I couldn't have asked for better. We even had people commenting on how great our children were.

We had some free time on Sunday so we hit up Sea World, but Monday through Thursday, and then the following Monday and Tuesday, we spent our time at this place.

In addition to being an amazing chiropractor, Dr. Fuller tests, treats and eliminates allergies, among other things. Check out his website here. The treatments happen once an hour so the first few days were pretty intense. Since we had made the trip, we decided everyone in the family would be tested and treated so the first couple of days were spent sitting in the office. We didn't really get any breaks to be outside enjoying the gorgeous weather. It was pretty exhausting, actually.

Now, the testing and treatments all sound pretty hokey and I realize this, but really, it was so easy. He used muscle testing to determine allergies and then used acupressure to eliminate them. It seemed so easy that it was impossible to believe. Gavin was treated for milk allergy and then Dr. Fuller said "Alright, go eat some ice cream!" We couldn't believe it was that easy. But it was!

I'll go into a bit of detail. Dr. Fuller has a large sample of allergen specimens in little tiny vials. You simply have to hold or touch a vial and he tests your body's reaction to the specimen. If you react, he treats you while you are holding the specimen. The treatment usually is just acupressure which means he manipulates a few spots (behind your knees, elbows and temples). That's it. Crazy easy.

 

But it has been amazing. Gavin's rash instantly disappeared. We've had no more tummy issues. He has lots of energy and he's my happy guy again. Dr. Fuller even treated Gavin for his speech difficulties. Gavin was diagnosed by his speech therapist as having low tongue strength. Dr. Fuller tested the nerves that communicate between the tongue and the brain and found that they didn't work well so he used laser therapy on him, and we noticed improvement almost instantly. Crazy good! I've been amazed at his speech this week.

 

Dr. Fuller actually helped me tremendously as well with my allergies and hormonal stuff and even emotional stuff. It's amazing how great I've been feeling. I know I've used the word amazing a lot this post, but it's so true. We just can't get over how great our time was. Life changing. Hope giving.

It was so interesting to talk to Dr. Fuller about his previous patients and everything that he has been able to help with. I am such a believer that he can help everyone. The great thing is if you are interested even in the slightest in going to see him, give him a call. He will answer so quickly and makes you feel like you are his only patient. If you have any questions or want to chat a bit about whether or not Dr. Fuller can possibly help you, contact me! I want to give others the chance to improve their quality of life too.

 

Anyways, there you have it. Our Florida 2013 trip. I know we did hit up Disney and SeaWorld, but to us it will always be the Dr. Fuller trip.

(Dr. Fuller and my two munchkins. Also - the amazing Abby.)



Things I missed.

We've been home now for a few days. While I'm working on a huge, long, important post, I figured I'd quickly throw this one up.

My bed. I love my bed.
My body pillow.
A ceiling fan.
Privacy while peeing.
Being able to flush the toilet without fear of it waking three small children.
Real food. Mounds and mounds of vegetables and salad. Green smoothies. Crunchy vegetables. Just real food.
Random daily texts from friends.
Cooking.
Sleeping next to my husband.
A rocking chair.
Watching tv without headphones.
Driving.
Yummy DavidsTea.
A crib for a baby.
Water. Lots and lots of ice cold water that doesn't have a weird after taste.
Silence. There was always noise happening.
Routine.

Things I didn't miss.

being cold.

The end.

I've been giggling all day.

So just had to share this little story.

We've been staying in a hotel since January 11. That's a long time. We are staying on the second floor and so we take the elevator a few times a day, at the kids' insistence. Gavin always gets a little panicky that the elevator doors are going to close and leave someone behind, usually me. He kind of freaks out.

I was teasing Chris that I was more important and he was all, "No way. Gavin would freak out if I was late too." So we put it to the test.

Today we went to the elevator and Chris and I purposely stayed behind.

Gavin freaked. He was yelling, "Mommy! Mom!! Mommy, come! Don't be late! Come!"

and when I got there, he took my hand, calmly got on the elevator and as the door closed he looked up at me and said, "No worries, Mommy. Daddy can catch up later."

I win.

Working on a big post...

 I'm working on a big Magic Kingdom post, but for now, I'll leave you with just a few pictures...

Animal Kingdom

On Friday, we had a free day in Florida, so we decided to hit up Animal Kingdom. Now Sunday through Wednesday were gloriously hot, but this weekend it's cloudy and only reaching about 18 degrees. It was about 6 degrees when we got ready in the morning, but we did decide to put on some warm clothes and head out anyways. We are Canadian, after all.

I love this tree. I could stare at it all day. Yes, I realize it's fake, but I'm so into Disney and the magic around it.

When we went on our honeymoon (was that really almost ten years ago??), one of my favourite things we did was go on the Safari Trek. I really wanted the kids to see it. There were lots of animals and the kids were so excited to see all the animals so up close.

 Now, some people mentioned that there aren't many pictures of me, so I tried. Chris is horrible at taking pictures and often in this trip, it's just Eli and I hanging out while the older ones do the fun stuff. Here we are all bundled up, trying to stay warm.

 Gavin was so cute when he met Donald. He was playing shy and Donald went along with it. Gavin was just in awe. For him, it was like meeting a superstar.

 Chelsea loved it too. She even got autographs. She felt so special and I loved witnessing these moments!

 Now, Donald was quite enamoured with Eli. Everyone was laughing and Donald was playing it up. Eli of course, was just being his cute, big eyed self. I know he won't remember this trip at all, but it sure makes a cute picture!

 Of course, we met Mickey! Gavin kept bouncing up and down and asked Mickey where his clubhouse was.

 He was in awe watching the Animal Kingdom parade. I can only imagine his face when he sees a huge parade at Magic Kingdom tomorrow.

 These two really have gotten along very well, considering we are all together 24/7. They are still hugging and loving on each other, so we must be doing something right!

 And that was Animal Kingdom. I know I'm behind on blogging, but I'm trying!

Tomorrow is Magic Kingdom. I love Magic Kingdom. I am more excited than the kids!

Sea World



We are in Florida. I'll explain the reasons why in a later blog post, but right now, I'd like to spend some time highlighting our Sunday. We were going to go to Magic Kingdom, but then heard that 25 000 people would be running a marathon through the parks and so we decided to skip Disney and head to Sea World instead.

Moments like this melt my heart. They were so excited and so sweet together.

Gavin loves all the characters. He does his happy dance and just jumps up and down, over and over.

 

See? Happy dance! Also, he finally wore a hat. We found a great Mario hat for him. Sadly, it was lost within the first few hours at the park.

Proof that we did indeed take the baby! It was gorgeous outside, almost 30 degrees. Amazing.

I remember watching the Sea Lion show when I was in Grade 5. I loved watching it with my kids. So fun!

Again, Gavin found these guys hilarious!

This boy is so good. He loved the warmth and I loved seeing his baby toes all day!

Although our kids are a bit too young, I am hoping Chelsea will remember some of this trip!

The Shamu show was fantastic. Watching shows like this with kids by your side really makes such a difference. The kids just get so excited!!

Gavin was riding on Chris' shoulders and actually fell asleep up there. He was seriously exhausted.

The highlight of Chelsea's day was interacting with the dolphins.

I realize this post is pretty superficial, but we are all exhausted over here. Sharing one hotel room with 5 people means I don't get a lot of rest! I'll try to update again soon!

20 Random Facts

1. I am not an organized person. I wish I was, but alas I'm not. My pantry is always in chaos and my kitchen cupboards aren't organized either. It was one of those "if you can't fight 'em, join 'em" situations. My husband is VERY disorganized and somehow letting a few things go has lessened my nagging.

2. When I get old and eccentric, I'm going to collect things. I'll probably start with salt and pepper shakers. Or fun mugs. Sometimes now I'm super tempted to pick up a set that are really cute, but then I know it's going to be a runaway train - kinda like the owls I already have.

3. The first job I ever had was as a waitress in our small town restaurant called, "The Family Diner." I loved this job and how flexible they were. I worked here for 4 years.

4. We have a picture of Jesus on our fridge. What? You don't?

5. I had permed bangs in grade 7. Long long straight hair in the back. Permed bangs. I know I've shared this before but it's so good I just had to say it again.

6. I seriously feel like I have the worst memory ever. I try to remember things from my childhood and high school and I draw blanks. Did I babysit? What did I do for my birthday parties? Did we really just eat our lunch sitting on the dirty floor?

7. I went for a haircut when I was 17 and the hair stylist convinced me to wax my eyebrows. Pretty sure that was the best decision - of my life. ;) Don't believe me? Take a look!

(I wish I could say that picture was photoshopped, but nope.)

8. Pretty sure this haircut was not the best decision of my life.

9. I am pro-breastfeeding for our family. When I think about formula feeding and bottles, I get overwhelmed. I'm thankful that I can breastfeed and that my husband is also a huge supporter. Although I would love to be done nursing so that I can get this weight off, I am treasuring these special bonding times as I know that the next few months will fly by and soon I'll be done nursing.

10. I hate pumping my own gas and emptying garbage cans. I do everything I can to avoid these tasks. Yup. I'm a bit of a princess and I'm okay with that.

11. I've mentioned before that I only wear one contact lens. Since having Eli, I actually forget to put it in most days. My eyes are that good. Here's hoping that it sticks once I'm done breastfeeding.

12. I fall asleep reading every night.

13. I love being a mom. I remember in Grade 7, I was having a super sad moment because I didn't have many friends that week (oh junior high girls) (probably because I had permed bangs), and I remember thinking that someday I would have kids and life would be so good. And it is.

14. I used to love performing. I even took some drama courses at the U of M. I miss that rush of being on stage. Side note: I also miss going to the theatre. I really should go more.

15. I was lactose intolerant when I was 16 and 17. Thankfully, I grew out of it.

16. Apparently I like my life to be just a little more complicated than it should be. All four of us (with hair) use a different hair stylist. Chris goes to a place close to work, I go to a friend, Chelsea has been going to someone who always braids and puts beads in her hair, and recently instead of shaving G's head ourselves, I'm taking him to a hairdresser with little boys so maybe she can work her magic on his crazy hair. We all have haircuts this week so it's a lot more complicated than it should be.

17. I had mono when I was 17. I had it bad. I actually fell asleep at a basketball game that I was playing in! They called my name for starting line up and I was sleeping on the bench. Oops.

18. I'm afraid that I'll always crave Diet Coke. It's so so bad for me, but I just want it all the time. I didn't have any for almost two years, but gave in once while pregnant with Eli and ever since then the craving is back.

19. My favourite meal growing up was barbecued hamburgers, mashed potatoes and peas. Now it is a steak stirfry dish that I make with lots of green veggies in it - snap peas, zucchini, broccoli, and spinach.

20. I hate drinking from a glass. I always want a straw.

EY's first taste

Everything this guy has ever known was blown wide open when he was introduced to food a few days ago. His first taste, he was a little unsure...

 

 But then he was grabbing the spoon hand and forcing it in. Needless to say, he is definitely a fan! Chelsea was so excited to finally be able to feed him. She's been a little sad that I breastfeed and she can't just give him a bottle.

 

(Sidenote: how amazing is Chelsea's hair? Is it wrong that I'm jealous of my 5 year old daughter's hair? I want long hair!)

I read the book Baby-led Weaning so we are trying something new with giving him bigger foods and allowing him to learn and play with and chew his food. Now I know the Baby-led way is no purees or cereal, but we aren't there yet, but we are having fun! I love watching him try to figure out how to hold a banana without squishing it or dropping it.

Those eyes really are huge. :)

 Mmm... potatoes, sweet potatoes and broccoli. It's like a Christmas Day feast.

 He really loves broccoli. It's easy to hold and get pieces off. He's been having so much fun at mealtimes now. He eats everything.

 and I mean everything!

Clay Owl Studio

 Chelsea was given a gift card to Clay Owl Studio for Christmas. It's a paint your own pottery place that just opened up in town. I wasn't sure if she'd have the attention span to sit for a few hours and paint, but she did great.

 Of course, we did bring one of our favourite neighbours along.

 We grabbed our Jonny's smoothies and painted the afternoon away. Chelsea was Little Miss Social, as usual. She would wander around, complimenting people on their artwork and asking "Miss Corrie" a million questions. And she even managed to paint a really cute owl mug.

This was my second time there and I loved it even more than the first. I'm super proud of my artwork! It started as a plain white plate. I blended six colours together to make the background and then handpainted a tree. Here's the process and then then fired product!

I totally recommend you checking this place out. It's great for kids or for a girls' night out. I know we'll definitely be frequent customers!