Welcome!

Welcome to my blog. This is a place where I will voice MY thoughts and MY ideas on life and life events. I faithfully write in a journal but sometimes I feel the need to publically display, so here it is!

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Bowen treatment day

Hello all! It's been a while since I last blogged and so much has happened. I would like to first start with telling you all about the Bowen work I've been doing. I took the opportunity to go back to the South of Calgary to treat various friends and family - I did 7 treatments that day! (Michael was off all week this week, so I left him and Logan home and went to do some practicing). It was so wonderful! I had some great response from people. I also worked on people who didn't give me much of a response at all, but I hope they enjoyed what they recieved. Everyone had different 'problems' and that was interesting because alot of different problemts need the same procedures performed. But of course there was alot of variety of things to do as well. I particulary enjoyed seeing in myself an improvement in my actual technique. I feel much more confident and much more relaxed. I worked on men and women and none of it was awkward for me.

I have to say that the hardest part of it all was charging my fee! The people that I worked on specifically are close friends and/or family and I would much rather just work on them because I love them as opposed to recieving payment, but the whole point of my charging was to cover the cost of me travelling to the south (okay, and I did end up with a few dollars extra in my pocket)... we aren't in a financial situation for me to just drive back and forth that far of a distance (even if it is just 100km one way) just because 'I want to'. -sigh- but my mom has been reminding me that I have to start somewhere, and I agree, but that doesn't make it any easier! lol

Anyways, I have some really great people that I worked on coming out to see me next week, and that right there reassures in myself that the Bowen is successful! I would definetly do another trip to the South if I had at least 5 people to work on, so should anyone want treatments please don't hesitate to ask and we'll see what we can work out.

Should anyone wonder what my rates are, I am presently charging $10 for a treatment until my training is complete and I'm certified.

But all in all, I really enjoyed what I did that day and I am SO glad my mom introduced me to Bowen because I really do believe in it, mostly because most everyone i've worked on has had positive results!

Friday, December 24, 2010

Merry Christmas to you all

Michael, Logan and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Drive and travel safely and enjoy this lovely joyous season! I am grateful for the Saviour and his atoning sacrifice and love for us, and I want everyone to know that. He loves us all or we wouldn't be here today. Again, Merry Christmas!

Love,
The Bly's

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Updates and Such

What a crazy week! I haven't really -done- that much but it's been busy feeling. I guess that's the Christmas season for you - I love it!

Logan news: Over the past 3 days specifically I have noticed HUGE improvement in Logan (aside from his runny nose/not being able to breath problem lol). He is eating full meals again and has put back on 2lbs. Isn't that amazing? I'm completely shocked even though I knew what we are doing for him would work. However, on a negative side, Logan has di-gressed in a few areas. He is extra clingy, he is extra whiny (usually if i'm not paying enough attention to him), and he is no longer sleeping well at night.. and when I say he was sleeping 'well' before, he would sleep 4-5 hour stretches between wake ups, now he's at 2-3 hour stretches, which is exhausting!

Anyways, can't win them all right? lol, I am actually not complaining about it, i'm just stating the facts. Logan is my son, and this is his journey, and despite how tired I am or say I am, I really and truly don't mind it.

What else.. well MERRY CHRISTMAS to you all! I am excited for the holidays to start tomorrow! My family will be joining us at our house this year. Tomorrow (Friday Dec 24th) my mom, dad, brothers, sis-in-law, and neice will be here for some toboganning and dinner (hopefully everyone can make it out in the light or it'll just be visiting and dinner) ...and of course gifts for Ben's family because we won't see them on Christmas Day itself. Since my folks and brother Matt are out they'll just stay over night and do Christmas morning with us, then around 10:30 Michael and I will head down to Magrath. We would have driven down Christmas Eve so we could be there, but unless you drive with Logan during nap time it is a torturous and marriage-ending experience (lol). Since Michael has to work and the drive from Cochrane to Magrath is over 3 hrs now, we will just leave Saturday during the day. We'll make it in time for Christmas feast! :) Yum! Then we'll stay until Tuesday, so it'll be a great visit! Hopefully Logan is feeling better by then.

I had more to say but can't think of anything! lol so that's all for now.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Call me crazy...

I have been researching Homeschooling very thoroughly recently. I go back and forth about whether I want to do homeschool with Logan, and with my future children. I came to realize my only thing stopping me is ME. Homeschooling would be a lot of work for me as a person and I would have to make a committment to do it. So I am on a journey to work past my own selfishness and evaluate what is best for my children.

Here's what i've come up with so far:
1. The public system terrifies me these days and for all children who have to enter it (on an emotional basis). Jr High for me was what killed my self esteem, but I see it coming earlier and earlier.
2. The new cirriculums I don't think are anything spectacular to write home about. I was actually reading the Alberta K-3 cirriculum and they are so basic I have complete confidence that I could teach it to my children.
3. I have met alot of people in town and have been asking about the education system in Cochrane. I have been told great things about the elementary school that we would be required to attend, but have heard countless times AWFUL things about the local middleschool. Also I have learned there is a huuuge homeschooling network in town, so it wouldn't always be just me! (They will actually bring in teachers for you if your child was struggling in science for example - so a science teacher, or scientist would come in and do some classes for the students)
4. My Bowen instructor did "no-schooling" (that's actually what it's called) with her children, which is a system that allows them to learn things in their own way, as they want to. So no book work at all. I couldn't do that personally with my kids, but her boys are now 11 and 13 and EXCELLING as people, and are so grounded in themselves, and actually ask to learn things because there is no pressure on them to learn it. (ex: when yugi-oh came out, they wanted to play, so they had to learn math)

I would like to do a combination of the curriculum and no-schooling in an ideal world. But I am fairly confident that I will in fact home-school my children. It is so sad to me to watch at an earlier and earlier age children 'falling apart' (for lack of better term). They are getting more and more obese, they are becoming less and less confident, they are bullying earlier, etc, etc... I don't want that for my children.

My biggest 'concern' with homeschooling used to be (note the words "used to") the social aspect of public school is important. My views are completley 180'd now. The social aspect is completely up to the parent! If I secluded my child(ren) and kept him/her inside, by themselves, each and every day, they would absoluetly be lacking on the social side. But on the other side of things, if I enroll them in classes and activities, continue to attend church, embrace the homeschooling network available in Cochrane (and everywhere), let them play at the park and meet their neighbors, and just encourage them to communicate to clerks, receptionists, and other 'workers' of the world, they will be just fine! Oh, and 'field trips'! Have you been to the zoo in the middle of the week and found parents with their school aged children there? Absolutely! We would meet people all the time :)

So as I said, my own insecurities and selfishness is what makes me waffle back and forth, but I'm excited to venture into this possibility. I figure 2 1/2 years will just fly by when Logan's ready for Kindergarden lol so I'm educating myself now.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Logan's blood reading assessment

So today I took Logan to my blood reader because I have had some concerns about him - I think I blogged about them but I will refresh you as to what I was most concerned about: Logan over the past few months in particular has given up his healthy eating for barely eating, or only eating things like breads, crackers - so bad carbs (in my opinion). He would rarely eat veggies and the only protein he was eating was things like cheese and yogurt. Thankfully he still would eat fruit! (And he on occasion would eat veggies or meat but it was rare - not a daily basis that it should be)

Anyways, from this I was starting to notice that Logan just didn't seem well. His bowel movements weren't where they should be, he seemed sunken in the eyes, he was starting to lose weight (3.5 lbs to date in the last 2 months), the fact his nutrition wasn't where it should be bothered me, and he was randomly puking or just plain ill more often then I felt he should be!

The results from his reading were outstanding! They addressed everything I was concerned about and explained everything I was concerned about. The major and most important thing we learned is that Logan's liver is barely functioning - it is in very rough shape. Here is a blurp about the liver I pulled off the internet:

"The liver has many functions. Some of the functions are: to produce substances that break down fats, convert glucose to glycogen, produce urea (the main substance of urine), make certain amino acids (the building blocks of proteins), filter harmful substances from the blood (such as alcohol), storage of vitamins and minerals (vitamins A, D, K and B12) and maintain a proper level or glucose in the blood. The liver is also responsible for producing cholesterol. It produces about 80% of the cholesterol in your body."

Also because of the poor liver functioning, it was very visable that Logan's stomach was in rough shape - Myra (the blood reader lady) used the phrase 'his stomach seems very raw', and his gall bladder isn't up to par, etc. Everything is just in poor condition. Then on a side note he had visable parasites (creepy to see floating around on the screen), allergies to dogs/cats, dust, and mold, and he also had a little yeast.

Side Note: apparently antibiotics have mold in the actual penacillin formula, which means Logan has a slight allergy to it. I say that because in the past 6 months Logan has been on antibiotics at least 3 times because of his ear infections. Myra explained that with poor liver function the body cannot fight off those infections on it's own, thus the reaccuring infections he has had to live with.

Her last major note that I remember off the top of my head is that she figures the poor Liver function is probably from a fall (even just in the learning to walk process) that he experienced. Of course she can't be sure, but that would be a logical explanation as I don't know where else he would have developed liver problems from.

Myra gave us a bunch of natural medicines for him: He is taking a powdered Acidopholus, Milk thistle, and a something for the yeast. We will then follow up in 6 weeks to be sure there is improvement.

Never before have I been so happy with my decision to follow through with the concerns I have for my son. This could potentially also assist in his sleep problems, and of course his overall wellness will absolutely improve! I am very excited to see the results and changes over the coming weeks - and I know there will be some as I have had success when seeing Myra every time I've seen her for personal issues.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Nutrition

I labelled this Nutrition because I have two completely different and opposite topics to address but they both fall into nutrition in a way.

First: Crossfit
I have been doing Crossfit for the past 4 weeks. I would attend a 1 hour GRUELING class twice a week. I actually loved it because it challenged me to do things I never would have thought I could do before. Like pull ups - I can do on my first round 8-10 pulls up! Who knew I'd ever be there one day! Also, I can do 20 boy push ups, and I can do 65lb barbell shoulder presses.. And so on! It's just exciting for me - Michael even has mentioned when he hugs me or cuddles me that he can feel various muscles (and he likes it LOL). And I have followed the instructors food plan for me almost to a T. I had a very bad week during week 3 (which is when I did all my Christmas baking and chocolate making) but I got back on track and did 5 days of straight no sugar/no flour without ANY cheating. I am on day 6 and finished the last half of logan's mini muffin this morning, and had to make chocolates, and fully intend on having one to taste. So otherwise, I have done pretty darn good I think.
Can anyone feel a 'but' coming on? You got it! BUT.. after all that I have had ZERO results. My measurements have not changed, and I have acutally gained 3lbs. grrr. My weight number is extremely important to me as it used to be such a high number - it doesn't matter if that's good or bad, it's just how I am and I'm okay with that. But don't worry everyone, I am not giving up, but it's just disheartening a bit. I'm not even looking for a pep talk, i'm just venting. (so lol, please no one tell me that 'it just takes time' or anything like that). All I want from people is them to just keep encouraging me as I continue on.

Secondly: Logan
Logan in the past 2 months has more or less stopped eating vegetables, and I didn't notice specifically until recently, but he also won't eat meat. He eats fruit, muffins, sandwiches (and not even those as of this week), and crackers - and of course Christmas baking LOL. Anyways, he is losing weight, not eating well, and though he looks healthy, i'm concerned about his nutritional well being. I cannot take him to the doctor because doctors are (no offense) a little useless in this kind of scenario. Nutrition is extremely important to me as a person, and I want to be sure my child(ren) are getting what they need.

My first step was that I put Logan on the cancellation list to get in to see my blood reader, as she can scientifically look at his blood and see what he is or isn't lacking.
My second step is that I went out and got some protein drinks for him - I got the Pedia-Sure as it's designed for children. He doesn't realy love them, but he will drink them. Also, I am sure to give him those fruit/vegetable drinks so he's getting a serving of veggies too.

So the results: I actually am able to get into see Myra (blood reader) on the 14th - they had a cancellation! Which means i'll be going to Rimbey earlier than expected because Myra is in Stettler. And, I am continually trying to get Logan to eat food. I present a huge variety on his plate each day and meal so he has choices of good foods to choose from. I found yesterday that he really enjoys peas. And as far as protein goes, he will only eat yogurt and cheese (not great sources or protein). Anyways, it's a journey, and i'm doing everything in my power at this point to keep him healthy and well. He is growing up so quickly in height that I need to be sure it's in a safe matter for his body.

Anyways, that is all for now! :)

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

I'm a dreamer - what else keeps us going right?

VACATIONS! I want to plan one.. but the reality of it all is that I likely won't do much more than camping-style vacations for a handful of years down the road.. which is fine, don't get me wrong, i'm happy to camp-cation!

But, a girl can dream right?? :) Here's my 'wish list':

1. Church History tour (Missouri, Nauvoo, Winter quarters, Kirtland, Palmyra)
2. Bahamas - I'm leaning cruise opposed to land resort, not sure why, just a feeling
3. Jamaica
4. Hawaii
5. the East Coast (Canada)
6. Disneyworld (yes, Orlando - I have a sour taste about Cali still that i'm not ready to go back)
7. Europe - we have decided that if we ever make it to Europe, we'll go for at least a month, and it'll be when all our kids are grown and on their own

I think that's a big enough wish list for now :) I'd like to see one 'big' vacation every 5-7 years. That's why it's called a wish list!