where to begin...

Gosh there has been a lot to happen in our lives since the last time I updated so I hope I can remember it all.

First, a big CONGRATULATIONS to my best friends Brandon and Aubreigh Cox on the birth of their son (my nephew) Grayson Charles Cox. He is a handsome, funny little man and so calm. Also, he is a replica of his dad.

Isnt he adorable!?! He is two days old in this picture!

Im SO PROUD!

He had Jaundice so he got to wear these cool shades when he went under the light.

 Now, in other news Justin and I have paid off all our debt and are 100% debt free! So I am going to do the Dave Ramsey (virtual) scream, "WEEEEEEEERE DEBT FREEEEEEEEE!"
This is extra exciting for us because now we can save our money and then work toward paying off our condo! Phew!
It has been hard to stay on budget sometimes but we did it! And we are going to continue to do it! God had really been blessing us with paying bills and giving us willing hearts to want to work toward the same goals financially.

My business has continued to pick up, with some slow weeks still but that is to be expected especially during summer.

Justin and I just hit the 9 month mark of being married! How great is that! On one hand it seems like its been forever and on the other it seems to have flown by. We are so comfortable with one another I feel like I have known him my whole life. God was definitely behind the meeting of he and I.

Well that is all I can think of at the moment. Sorry it has taken me so long to update, life has been happening and I got swept along.

15 seconds to rest is NOT long enough

So here I am at work with 40 minutes to kill and instead of doing something productive like say, cleaning up hair I choose to sit on the computer. (don't worry I clean like every other week) j/k j/k every day.

Now that you know I am a clean person I would like to share whats been going on in our lives.
The transmission on Justin's car (my old car) is now starting to give out. But only sporadically says the mechanic. Great, it will be sporadically broken when we need it to work. LOL So far so good though, thank Lord for your provision.

We finally heard from the IRS stating that we will receive our home buyers credit check in the mail in the next 6-8 weeks. I'm not kidding we have received no less than 7 snail mail letters from them stating that our paperwork was being reviewed or that they needed more paperwork in order to review it. Way to buy your time IRS, well played. Whats funny to me is that when they want our money they want it NOW! No excuses they don't care if you're living in a box under a bridge, at some point that box belonged to them (them being the government) and the land it sits on is definitely theirs so pay up!

In other news, I took off about 2 and 1/2 weeks from exercising and went back on  Wednesday night thinking I could get right back on that treadmill and run 2 miles. Boy was I wrong and my body let me know quickly. Between the aches and pains running through my legs, feeling like they were on fire and then the pang in my side I barely made it a quarter mile before having to take at least a 15 second break. But boy I surely think I earned that 15 seconds dont you think?


P.S. 15 seconds is a lot shorter than you think.

But here is what I looked like AFTER my mile ... worth it. :0)

GF Chicken Parmesan

So I copied this recipe from a friend because it sounded SO good and made sure to make it all GF.

So here it is (with a big thank you to Jennifer Bethune)

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
Pasta (I used egg noodles)
spaghetti sauce
shredded Parmesan
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 cup (GF) flour, 1Tbsp paprika, 1tsp pepper, 1tsp "italian seasoning". (combine this all in a bowl)

Boil pasta. While boiling, tenderize (flatten) chicken until 1/2 in thick or slightly less, cut in 2 pieces. Mix all seasonings and flour in large bowl. Bread chicken with ... See Morethe flour mix, then put in large frying pan (with about 1-2 Tbsp of EVOO) on med-high heat. Fry for about 2-4 mins each side or until chicken is done all the way through.
When pasta is finished, plate pasta, then chicken, pour some sauce on top and spinkle (or handfull lol) parmasean on top. Makes 4 servings. :) green bean and/or salad are delicious sides.


So you may notice mine didnt have any cheese on it. This is because I am also dairy free and did not have any rice cheese on hand. NO biggie it still tasted Awesome! 
I guess technically that just makes it a chicken and noodles dish, but it was SO good!


Here is a picture of the finihed product (I almost forgot to take the picture) 

well its not letting me post a picture right now.... but ill get one up soon

Gluten Free Goodness

Maybe no one believes me when I say, "I love to cook!!" Therefore, I thought I would let you all in on our meal from this evening.

 Gluten Free Fried Chicken! I know what youre thinking,
Q: "really? Gluten Free FRIED chicken? Is it better for you because its gluten free?"

A: No it is not ANY better for you but still just as tasty!

Q: Just as tasty, huh?

A: Absolutely! It was so good I have been thinking about it all night wanting more! (I made enough for leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Two meals out of one! WOOHOO! For being fried the batter actually tasted lighter. It didn't feel as heavy on my stomach and maybe that has a little to do with not overeating, it could have to do with the fact that it was GF therefore I didn't feel horrible after eating it. Or maybe it was a little of both.

Q: So how did you figure out you could make it GF?

A:  My lovely friends gave me this awesome GF Kitchen Cookbook for a wedding gift and since I started using it Ive never looked back. Some of the recipes are a little drab (and we like food spicy around here) so I spice it up.
Since I am only gluten intolerant most, if not all, spices don't bother me (as of yet) and I do not anticipate them starting to bother me any time soon.

So now I will leave you with an impromptu picture I took of my meal right before devouring it.

Everything on this plate is dairy and gluten free. The potatoes do have Almond milk, a little vegan butter, and some olive oil in them. This meal was SO yummy! I cant wait for lunch tomorrow... maybe breakfast? :0)

Gym Rats

So as I have been working out I have taken notice that there are about 3 different groups of people. Let me outline these groups for you. (WARNING: This is how my mind works, sometimes. Okay ALL the time!)


Group 1- This group is usually the older crowd with the occasional pregnant woman sprinkled in. This group of people generally like to take it slow on the treadmill. This could also include the social work-out person. You know the person there looking for a mate so they are chatting up EVERYONE of the opposite sex. When you find them talking to someone of the same sex you start to wonder.  I find them to be inspiring that they still get out and workout! Way to go Group 1!

Group 2- I find mostly wanna be runners in this group. This consists of the people who get on the treadmill and start by walking and transition into running. But about half a mile into MUST stop for water. (I am partly in this group but slowly making my way into Group 3 I now start by running and dont stop for about 1.5 miles to get a sip of water then im right back on!) I'm working on it. Dont judge me :0)

Group 3-  This includes ALL serious runners. You know the ones, they get on the treadmill start running and don't stop. They are running before you get on your treadmill and are still running once you're done.  I like to think I am in this group but I don't think my status has shifted from Group 2 into Group 1. 

Today I had this thought. What would happen if someone from group 1 melded into group 2? Would a pregnant woman be able to run? What if an OLDER, pregnant woman worked out hard core. What then!?!?! My groups would be completly ruined.

So nevermind just ignore my groupings all together. They are totally and completely off base. However, I will continue to hold these people in their respective groups. Thats just the way my mind works. Oh and don't even get me started on the groups of weight lifters. They are even funnier than the runners.

Here's a little preview of THAT... The guy on the right on his phone. Check out the 80's cut, awesome cut-off shirt, and sweatpants. Watch out... he means business.

More on that later.

Eat more chik'n

So I found this awesome group on facebook called The Crockpot Recipe Exchange. While going through all the awesome recipes on the page I discovered this (which is what is for dinner). I have made a few changes to it...


Chicken Tacos 

4 chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups water
1 packet of taco seasoning
red, green and yellow peppers
 

and anything else you think sounds good thrown in there! ( I added creole seasoning, salt and pepper, basil leaves and chili powder) We like things hot and spicy around here!

I cut up the chicken into strips so that they would be like fajita style meat. Throw everything into the crockpot and cook on low for 5 hours. Once its done drain any excess water and add any extra seasoning you would like.

I cant wait to try this out tonight. Ill let you all know what the husband has to say. Also, I will post a picture once its cooked! YUMMMMM!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JUSTIN!! (belated)

Happy Birthday (march 3rd) to the love of my life! Justin turned 28 on March 3rd this year and it was a blast! Also, it was the first of either of our birthdays as a married couple.

The Saturday prior to his birthday I threw him a surprise party and boy WAS he. (surprised that is!) LOL
My mom asked us over for "dinner" that evening and of course we accepted! We have some friends who just moved here from Michigan and he asked if they could come along. Little did he know they had already been invited! When we showed up he was hesitating going in to the living room where everyone was (he had turned around to help me carry stuff in etc.) I had The Ruggles middle child in my arms. I kind of hurried him along to the living room and he walked in... SURPRISEEE!!!! His face was blank! What is going on here... for me?! ha ha it was perfect ... no one spoiled the surprise! YESSSS I pulled it off. Thank you to everyone who helped!

To check out the Ruggleblog go here... http://therugglesfamilyblog.blogspot.com/

Also, I have to mention the cake at the party. Katy Hatley, a friend of mine from LIDE, makes cakes and goodies that are SOOOO good.
She made a gluten free cake for the party that tasted like gluteny goodness! If you need anything made just check out her website... www.hattycakes.com

I will post a picture of the cake later!

Thanks for reading...

Gluten and Dairy Free Anniversary coming up!

I cant even believe it. Tonight while at home digging around on my computer and searching for Gluten/Dairy free websites I thought to myself, "How long has it been that I have been gluten/dairy free?" So I went back in my iCal (Thanks you to Apple for its many wonderful ways I can use my phone!) dug back to May 27th of 2009 to my very first appointment with my nutritionist. NINE MONTHS!!! This is unreal to me! Has it really been nine months?

It all started back in March of 2007 when I was having HORRIBLE pains (and actually prior to that it had been going on but I kept it between my family and I and I am not going into detail here but just know it got to be unbearable and I spent the next two years basically drugged up) I went to doctor after doctor searching for an answer. Every time I went into a new doctors office I thought, "this is it they will be able to diagnose me" and almost every time I was wrong. They were treating the symptoms not the overall problem. SHOUT OUT to all my doctors though. I know that I was sent to each of them by Gods leading and urging. He used my Mom a lot in this process too!)

So finally after eight surgeries, numerous doctor visits, and too many trips to the hospital (is it sad when you get to know your doctors by first name and a visit to them becomes more social than anything?) I was diagnosed by my PCP (everything started being filtered through his office, who'da thunk!) with having Crohns Disease.  I was ecstatic to have a diagnosis but... NOW WHAT!?!?!

So after being put on medication, antibiotics and starting a new treatment, which has the side effect of death...(no biggie right... I know where im going) I was starting to feel like it was never going to end, and possibly just masking what was really going on.
Turns out all of this stuff I was put on was indefinite. What?? So when I die they could blame it on my medication? No there has to be more to it than this. Life has to be lived to its fullest yet every eight weeks I am tied to an IV.

Upon meeting my (now) husband in December of 2009 and explaining to him what all has gone on and of course thinking to myself, "as soon as he finds all this out, hes outta here" he urged me to try a more hollistic approach. Forget modern medicine (when I can) and explore possibilities.

I thought it over, and weird enough I went out to dinner with a group of friends prior to Christmas and one girl had very similiar symptoms, found a nutritionist and had been doing well ever since. Im not kidding you I felt like an old woman discussing ailments with everyone there. But my heart leapt and I started questioning it. But still being leery of "natural medicine" I did not get this doctors info. I prayed about it, mulled it over, talked to my parents and Justin about it. It was a hard decision coming to a place in my life where I could fully hand this over to the Lord. But the decision was made and I went through many channels to get Dr. Sconyers information. The appointment was set and Justin took off work to go with me. I was nervous but knew it was going to be productive. It was a full four hours of an emotionally packed meeting with him and telling him my story.

Dr. Sconyers immediately asked if I had ever tried to be gluten/dairy free. No, why? I said back with a shudder to think i would have to give up the goods. He explained that my body cannot process these foods (most likely) and by eating them I am continuing to harm my body. WHAAAT! I am poisoning myself!?!?! That is crazy.

As Justin and I walked out of his office with a new approach to eating we were both hungry. A Chipotle bowl was as good as it was going to get. All I knew at that point was I had to stay away from any dairy and basically all breads. BOO!

My family and Justin have all been so supportive of this. Justin has gone almost completely Gluten free with me (he only eats it when hes out with other people) and my Mom makes gluten free/dairy free desserts and meals when we come over. My Dad actually wanted to try being gluten free for a week to see what it was like for me. What an awesome family, what a huge blessing to me.

I need to stop here and say a HUGE thank you to my Mom. All of my family was vital in my walk through this but my Mom and I bonded greatly over these years. She was not only my mom but my at-home nurse, a confidant, a leader, an encourager, a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on. So what Im trying to say is Thank You, Mom. You are one amazing woman and I hope to be half the wife, mother and daughter you have shown me to be. I love you.

Okay enough of this mushy stuff... as of today I have not been admitted to the hospital in almost a year and I only have to go to the doctor for regular check-ups!!!! PRAISE THE LORD! My doctors were all invited to my wedding (because thats how close you get when youre in there all the time!) and I am happily married to a wonderful supportive man who encourages me every day in every way. Thank you Justin for urging and encouraging me to change my life.

a HUGE thank you to all my doctors for being not only doctors but confidants through all of this. I know God lead me to their doors.

Last, but definitely not least, Christ who without I would still be curled up in a ball not living my life. It is through him that I can do all things.

Okay, I feel like I was giving a speech. ha ha anyway, there are a ton of people I am sure I'm forgetting but just so you know I have not forgotten how you helped me through those times.

Gluten/dairy free eating is not as bad as I thought. It was tough starting out but gets easier every day and with the encouragement of my family and friends it is easily done.I have eaten some good, and some not so good gluten free stuff. I tend to stick with the good gluten free stuff... but who wouldnt?

WOW! Nine months... thank you for going by quickly and without me realizing it! If you need any help in the area of gluten free just send me an email graycarolen@gmail.com or visit these sites.

www.celiac.com
www.glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/

and now for a couple of pictures...

 

The love of my life, Justin

 

and the amazing family that helped me through this journey 

(from L to R: my Mom (Vicki), me, my sister (Becca), and my Dad (Barney)) 

This was Becca's graduation night!! Congrats lil' sis, so proud of you!

New background... awesome website!

Just in case you've noticed my new background I got it from ...

www.thecutestblogontheblock.com

They have so many to choose from I may end up changing it over and over again!

Almost Valentines Day!

Its almost Valentines day and well I wonder what we're doing. This will be our second one to spend together and our first one as a happily married couple. (we've always been happy but now we're married LOL)
I am not making plans and told Justin we should just stay in but its up to him. (I think you can celebrate your love for each other any day of the year!) This is going to sound cheesy but he does a grayt job making me feel loved all the time. What a grayt man!

What are your plans for Valentines Day?

I am currently in the process of trying to build my salon up even more (advertising, taking new clients, offering all kinds of CRAZY GOOD discounts!) If you have any ideas let me know.

Justin is in the process of building my website www.carolengraysalon.com Right now it has the basic information on it. My hours, how to reach me, and where I am located.

Also, (shameless plug) if you need a computer repair guy, not just any computer repair guy, AKA computer genius, but THE BEST check out this website www.graytexperts.com

I will keep everyone posted on what goes on for Valentines Day and our lives. Sorry for taking so long to update. I was waiting for something big too happen but luckily we live quiet lives. :0)

and now for a picture (I like visuals)

This is a picture of us at a Stars game. We went to a game on one of our first date and almost 1 year to the day we were back at the same spot with the same people. A couple of our friends and the two of us. 

 Here is a picture of my friend, Aubreigh, and I.  Brandon didnt make it in to any of these pictures :0/ Sorry Brand-o

Just in case you want to follow her you can find her at

http://aubreighcox.blogspot.com/ 

and a HAAAAAPPPPYYY NEW YEAR!

So we were going to ring in the new year by going out to the AAC and watching bands and watching teh ball drop. However, it was rainy and nasty outside and Justin was just getting over a cold so we opted for the stay at home method and rang in our first new year together, at home, watching a movie. I think it was awesome! I had a grayt time sitting around with Justin and thinking about all that 2009 brought us.

To begin with:
Better health
Happy times and memories
meeting one another... OKAY OKAY yes that happened at the end of '08 but still...
A fantastic wedding
an awesome home 
Grayt new extended family

Do you get the picture? 2009 is where the rest of our lives began. What a fantastic year, I cant wait to see what the next year holds for us and even more so what the next 60 have in store.

I love you Justin Gray and thank you for the past year and the many to come!