Ready...Set...Get Healthy!

January is almost here…time to reflect on the past and plan for the future. Resolutions are on the rise and most include having a healthier year. After the over indulgence on holiday treats, January is a great time to start a detoxification regiment and lay the foundation to wellness!

Detoxification is important in order for your body to function at optimum efficiency. This will promote healing, increase immunity and allow an overall feeling of well-being. Detoxing can resolve chronic aches/pains, allergies, weight management and increase energy levels. It involves cleansing the system of harsh chemicals (food additives, preservatives, flavorings, colors/dyes, pesticides, heavy metals), irritants (food sensitivities including corn, wheat, soy, dairy, sugar, eggs, peanuts), stimulants (caffeine, nicotine, MSG, Aspartame, Sucralose) and depressants (alcohol). Obviously, this is not something that can be done overnight, but don’t despair! There are many great resources to help you along the way.

Depending on where you are on your road to health, different measures should be taken. Always follow close supervision from a professional. If this is your first detox, it may be a better idea to start to add in cleansing foods to slowly start the process, rather than briskly rush toxins through your system which can be harsh on your body and actually make you feel worse. If you are further along in your healthy living, an elimination diet will be more appropriate. If this is the case, on your next visit to Wholistic Healing Chiropractic, muscle testing can be done to see which diet is right for you during your detoxification process. Either way, if you are just beginning your journey or currently living a healthy lifestyle, the detox footbath is a helpful tool to cleanse your system! Read more about the detox footbath here.

Along with cleansing, it is important to replace the bad with good. When going through a detox, your digestive system will be changing PH levels, absorption levels, permeability and bacterial lining. It is important that you give your digestive lining the ingredients necessary to replenish and work properly. The first that I would start with is a high quality probiotic. The probiotics Wholistic Healing carries are living cultures of a healthy balance of intestinal flora that support immune function and decrease colony populations of harmful bacteria. This formula contains FOS molecules which attract bifidobacteria in the gut. Another helpful product Wholistic Healing has available is GreensFirst, a supplement high in fiber containing vegetable ingredients to give you the nutrients, vitamins and fiber that you will need. You may also need a supplement to support liver, kidney or digestive function, if these meridians show up during your visit. It is important that you get muscle tested for supplements before taking them.

If you have any questions or are ready to start your detoxification program, give us a call today!

I found this in my drafts...oops

I was about to post a new blog and I saw that I had uploaded these pictures of my birthday flowers my parents had sent me. Yes, that was almost 2 months ago and apparently I forgot to post them. Whoopsie! They are still very pretty flowers so I will post them, nonetheless. :) Thanks Mom and Dad!

Why not?

How To Handle The Holiday Stresses

The holidays are upon us. To most that means good food, good people and extra stress! According to a study conducted by the American Psychological Association, the top reasons for the extra stress are not enough money, not enough time and the fear of racking up more credit card debt. If you’re feeling the extra stresses this holiday season, keep in mind that you are not alone.

This same poll concluded that holiday stress is a growing concern as 25 percent of Americans are worried that the excess stress could affect their physical health. In order to cope with these stresses over one-third of Americans stated they turn to eating and drinking alcohol. On a positive note, the poll revealed that 45 percent of Americans use exercise to cope with stress, while 44 percent utilize religious and spiritual practices. Most people turn to what they are most familiar with when faced with stressful situations and as such, a common familiar coping strategy involves eating or drinking alcohol.

Rather than resorting to these short-term fixes, here are some healthier and longer-lasting stress-relieving techniques as written in Science Blog Dec 2004.

• Think of holidays as a way to reconnect with people and solidify good relationships
  
• Keep your holiday task list simple to avoid overwhelming yourself by setting goals that aren't realistic
  
• Look at stressful situations in a broader context and keep a handle on blowing things out of proportion
  
• Before a holiday stressor gets the best of you, find out what the underlying cause of the stressful situation is and focus on that
  
• Don't ignore your own needs and remember to take the time to participate in activities that are meaningful and relaxing to you
  

By practicing these techniques and taking care of yourself, the mind and body will become stronger and more resilient to stressful situations as they surface throughout the holiday season.

Life Is Wonderful

This weekend, Michael is taking me to Houston for my birthday to see my most favorite musician (and my really the only musician that I somewhat like. Weird, I know. I don't have much of a right brain so music isn't particularly entertaining to me). Anyway, it's Jason Mraz!

Every morning, I listen to his song called "Life Is Wonderful" and it makes me happy and in a good mood to help people. It's full of inspirational lines. My most favorite line is "it takes the dust to have it polished." It makes me feel better about being all dusty sometimes. :)

In other news, I overheard a woman talking about how her child was scheduled to have tubes in his ears due to chronic infections and I wanted to run up to her and yell, "Don't do it!" I didn't, but I was close. I've become a weirdo. :P Pray for me.

Tuesday, I met with my CPA. He was astonished at what I was charging people. This isn't the first person that has told me that my rates are too low, and I know I could be making a lot more money but I'm not in it for the money. He told me I could take time for charity after I pay off my student loans. Humph. My loan payments are lingering in the near future, creeping up in the shadows, ready to pounce on me and strangle all humanity that I have to give. I hate them. But I don't want to make people worry about affording their health care because of them. I refuse to budge! For now. Maybe by a Christmas miracle I can continue on with my low rates and not have to worry whether I can afford rice and beans whilst paying off my student loans? If I will it hard enough, it shall happen!

Supplements...The Good, The Bad, The Essential

Why do we take supplements? When looking at your diet, I would like you to ask yourself some questions: Am I getting all essential nutrients from the food that I eat on a daily basis? Is it possible that with the quality of food that I am eating, I am receiving enough nutrients to allow all chemical, hormonal and structural processes to take place within my body? Does my body need extra nutrients in order to give me the energy that I need to get through my day and handle all of my stresses?

Although eating a well balanced diet is necessary, in today’s world it is rare that we are getting everything that we need from the foods we eat. That is where supplements come in. It is imperative that we take a HIGH QUALITY supplement on a daily basis to ensure that our body gets the proper nutrients. High quality supplements are those that contain bio-available nutrients, meaning that our body can break them down and use them. This is not true with most supplement companies because they are not regulated. What that means is although the label states that each pill contains a specific amount of vitamins, those vitamins aren’t necessarily in each tablet and may not even be recognizable forms for your body to use.

So, how do you find the right supplement for you? There are many great brands out there as a general rule, but everyone is different. What’s right for you may not be right for anyone else. The best way to find out is through muscle testing conducted by your chiropractor. As a rule, EVERYONE needs to be on a multivitamin and an omega-3 supplement. Even children! Omega-3 is an essential fatty acid. Essential means that your body cannot make it on its own. You must either eat a diet high in omega-3’s or take supplements.

The brand of vitamin varies from person to person. Most often, the vitamins that are over-sold and over-advertised are not the best quality. When shopping for an omega-3 supplement, keep in mind that you should not have an aftertaste or burp up the flavoring of the supplement. If you do, that supplement is not right for you. Also, thoroughly read the label on children’s vitamins. Make sure that it does not contain high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors and dyes or contain wheat, soy, corn or dairy. There are plenty of supplements out there that you and your kids will love and will probably line up to take them each morning!

Family Fun

Michael and I went home this weekend and it was so wonderful! Joshua flew in from NC and we just hung around the house like we never left.

Friday, Dad made homemade pizza that Mom insisted was 'meat lovers' because it had hamburger AND pepperoni. It was yummy. I haven't had homemade dough in a long time. The boys were out hunting until pretty late but that worked out because we ended up getting there at 7 instead of 4. Interestingly enough, I had a patient who was 37 weeks pregnant who had a breech baby and needed to be seen so I stayed around to adjust her. She goes for an ultrasound tomorrow so I'll keep you updated as to whether her baby was able to turn after her pelvic cavity opened up or not.

Saturday, we went to see Granny in San Angelo. She cracks me up. She's always playing sneaky tricks on people and getting them all riled up about things. She's voting for Obama. You should ask her about it. That night, we went to see 'Eagle Eye' at the Abilene Mall. We originally went to see 'Quarantine' but they were sold out. Sold out? Only in Abilene. LOL. 'Eagle Eye' turned out to be an awesome movie. I would recommend seeing it.

Sunday, the boys hunted...again. Mike now thinks he needs to buy a shotgun. Thanks for that, Dad! I'm not opposed to it, but I do believe he was just fine without the gun.

It was so good to be home and see my brothers again. I already miss Joshua's shaven legs (he's so weird) and Jeff's ZZ-Top beard. Growing up is no fun.

We Survived

It was a tough go, but we made it through Southlake Oktoberfest. It was crazy windy all weekend and pretty warm (I got a fever blister from it :( I put some Vit A on it this morning and it's already shrinking, so no worries) but it definitely could have been worse. The prize wheel was a huge success! The kids saw it from a mile away and would drag their parents over to spin the wheel. We gave away about 100 or so mugs, coozies and pens with my logo so I'm hoping that will generate some business. I also have about 50 or so contacts and I'm expecting at least half of those to become new patients, so it was definitely a success! Mom and Dad were a huge help and poor Mikey sat out there with me all weekend and had to carry all of the heavy boxes with mugs and never complained. I definitely could not have done it without them! Oh, and Tillie was a great salesperson. She brought people over because she's just so darned cute.

After Oktoberfest ended last night, Amelie and I met up with our friend, Lilia from Panama. She came to the states to see her sister and luckily, we had a chance to catch her while she was here. She is 6 months pregnant and oh so cute! She's only been gone a year (since we graduated) and in that time has started her business, got engaged and married and pregnant! Man, time flies. It's funny though, because now I can't picture her not having a pregnancy belly. It fits her so well and I'm so excited to see Raul, Jr.! I'm pretty sure she's having a boy even though I want her to have a girl. Haha. She isn't getting any ultrasounds done because they're really not necessary and doesn't want to shock the baby with sound waves just to find out the sex. Also, she's having a natural childbirth and studies show that the anticipation of finding out the baby's sex helps speed the labor process. She's going to make a great Mommy. (Oh, and Steph, I ended up getting her a Bella Band. The Hotslings were $64 and up and Amelie had already got her a similar gift but it was a Target brand. At least now I know where to find them for the next baby gift, though! Haha. Thanks!)

Now, on to a great week and an even greater weekend! Joshua is coming home Friday! Yay!

Nut'N Honey

Do you remember that commercial? "Whatcha eatin? Nut'N Honey. What do you mean nothing?" Hahahaha. I miss that commercial.

Right now I'm doing "nothin." Just watching the Vice Presidential debate. It stresses me out. Am I alone in this? War, nuclear weapons, bankruptcy, increased taxes, energy crisis...aaaaaagh!

I think a more suitable name for this blog is "Deep Thoughts by Jennifer." Did anyone see the SNL skit, "Deep Thoughts by Jack Hannah?" Makes me think of that except it's not funny....

Tillie is chewing on her bone. She loves bones. Her mouth is too small to eat them so she ends up slobbering on them until they get soggy enough to swallow. Gross. Her belly is round and full right now. I gave her leftover pot roast and vegetables; yet, she still chews on her bone and acts as if she hasn't eaten in days and days.

I need to get my hair did. My roots have grown out so much, I'm embarrassed to look at myself in a mirror. It is so expensive to get quality highlights and a haircut in this area, that I have put it off. I'm afraid I have put it off too long. Booooo to spending money on a haircut!

Tomorrow after a full day of work, I have to work a booth at Oktoberfest in Southlake until 11 pm. Those of you that live nearby should come! Mom and Dad bought me a prize wheel. It's way fun. The prizes are as follows: Wholistic Healing pens, Wholistic Healing drink holders and Wholistic Healing coffee (or tea!) mugs as well as free adjustments, physicals, supplements, etc. Now, who wouldn't want to win that?! :P Hopefully, I can get a lot of patients from it. It's been a mess to get a booth and prizes to give away thus far. I paid an arm and a leg for the stinkin' booth and then the chamber advertises me as "Wholistic Health." Not even "Chiropractic" after it. I called, I emailed, I harrassed, yet the only response that I receive is a week later in an email that states, "I will see what we can do." Uhm, how about you give me my money back? Frustrating. I would be terribly rude, but the smarter side of me knows that I need to build a long lasting relationship and shouldn't make waves. I'm burning up inside. It's gonna be a loooong weekend: 4-11 Friday, 10-11 Saturday and 12-5 Sunday. Yucky. Luckily, Mom and Dad are coming down to see their prize wheel at work, so I get some help! I'm looking forward to seeing them. I miss my family.

Halloweeeeen!

One of my patients sent these two headbands home with me for Tillie's Halloween costume! I think she likes the bunny one better (or hates it the least). I don't know how I will give her pug tail a poofy bunny hiney yet, but even just the headband cracks me up.

Swimming In Poison

Toxins are in the food you eat, the air you breathe and the clothes you wear. Your body does an amazing job of filtering out the toxins you are exposed to, but when is enough, enough? Everyone responds to toxins in a different manner but here are the most common symptoms of toxin overload:

• Enzyme dysfuntion
• Altered metabolism
• Reproductive disorders
• Fatigue
• Headaches/generalized aches and pains
• Obesity
• Mental fog – many people may feel that they have “cobwebs in their brain” or experience increased forgetfulness or an overall feeling of being out of tune with their body
• Sugar cravings
• Muscle and vision problems
• Immune system depression
• Allergies/Asthma
• Endocrine disorders
• Chronic viral infections
• Less able to tolerate/handle stress
• Skin break-outs

Even if you aren’t exhibiting symptoms, I would suggest detoxing at least twice a year in order to make sure that your body is not holding on to unhelpful waste. Especially considering that a study in the British Medical Journal estimated that perhaps 75 percent of most cancers are caused by environmental and lifestyle factors, including exposure to chemicals. Another report, this one by the Columbia University School of Public Health, estimated that 95 percent of cancer is caused by diet and environmental toxicity. Wake up and smell the smog, People; it’s time to detox!

If you have never done any type of detoxification program, then I would suggest starting out by cleaning up your diet and environment.

1. Buy and eat organic produce and free-range, organic products as much as possible. This cuts back on the amount of pesticides, synthetic materials and unnatural hormones you will ingest. It also increases the amount of nutrients you take in which will help protect against what toxins you do come in contact with.
2. If you can’t avoid eating non-organic produce, wash your fruits and vegetable thoroughly. You can also remove the outer layer of leaves if possible to avoid digesting high levels of pesticides.
3. Avoid processed foods of any type. Fast foods, over-processed grains and sugars, low-fat and sugar-free products.
4. Switch over to natural brands of toiletries, including shampoo, toothpaste, antipersperants and cosmetics. You will rid many toxic inducing ingredients like aluminum, sodium lauryl sulfate, excess fluoride and many other harsh chemicals.
5. Only use natural cleaning products in your home. You may even make your own cleaning solution with vinegar, baking soda and water. Check out http://www.vinegartips.com/cleaning for more information.
6. Use the ionizing detox footbath to rid your body of free radicals and allow your organs to function at a higher level.

If you’re ahead of the game and already do the above listed, then a more serious detox program may be better for you. Consult your chiropractor to get a specific detox regiment for your body type.

For a more in-depth discussion check out the following books and websites:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2005/02/19/common-toxins.aspx
http://www.drrapp.com/
“Our Toxic World - A Wake Up Call” by Doris Rapp, M.D.
“Dr. Earl Mindell's Unsafe at Any Meal: How to Avoid Hidden Toxins in Your Food”
http://www.ehow.com/how_2066336_avoid-food-toxins.html?ref=fuel&utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=ssp&utm_campaign=yssp_art
http://www.allergictoliving.com/index.html

God's Love

I hate that I take advantage of the ability to have those that mean the most to me in my life. I've been blessed. I have the most wonderful and supporting family and loved ones. I love my momma and daddy, but I don't let them know often enough.



Today I went to the gym and hung out with one of my good friends, Amelie. She seemed kinda down and mentioned that yesterday was the 3 year anniversary of her mother's passing. Her mom died of brain cancer. She fought it for 3 years. I remember when her mom passed. I remember hearing when her mother was immobile and even later when she could no longer make complete sentences. I remember the progression of the horrible illness and what it did to all of the loved ones involved.



When we walked outside after talking about Amelie's mom, it had rained and there was the most magnificent rainbow in a complete arch panning the sky. Amelie said it was the same rainbow they had witnessed the day of her mom's passing. It was definitely God winking down on us to let Ame know her mom was with Him.



How ungrateful that I haven't enveloped those that are here with me in my love. I do love you all! :)

Cats & Dogs

I have read this before, but it cracks me up so I'm posting it. In my house, I think it is actually backward. Deedee is very content but Mike and I are convinced that Tillie is plotting our deaths.

"Excerpts from a Dog's Diary"

8:00am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00pm - Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm - Milk bones! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

"Excerpts from a Cat's Diary"

Day 983 of my captivity. My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.

Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am. Bastards!

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of "allergies." I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs.I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded.

The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicate with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe.For now .

I Love My Job

Wow, I can't believe I've already been open for a month. So far, great things are happening, folks! God has brought me the people that I can really help and it is amazing to watch their bodies heal and their spirits change.

A few days ago, I received a call from a patients mother. She was in tears as she told me the story of everything her daughter had been through and how her 27 year old daughter had lost hope of ever feeling good or even normal before she had come to see me. She told me it was a miracle that her daughter even came to see me at all because she had given up on doctors or trying to get better. I was amazed to hear this. I had no idea her outlook was that desolate in the beginning. This woman said she's been praying for someone to help her daughter with all of her ailments (and trust me, she has quite a few). I've only seen her daughter a few times over the course of about two weeks, but the transformation has been amazing. Turns out, most of her 'diseases' were related to food allergies, nutrient deficiencies and harboring emotional pain. At her second appointment, the daughter showed up as a different person. She said she had never had so much energy in her whole life and she could feel a major change. While on the phone, her mother told me that there had been a prayer chain to help her daughter about a week before they received my information and every since then, they have been praying over me to help her and others. I told the woman to keep those prayers coming at me! How awesome that people were praying for me to have the knowledge to figure out how to direct them! Equally awesome to see every day how my knowledge fits in to God's plan to effect other people's lives.


Another patient came in yesterday with major changes. She has been on blood pressure medication for three years. After just two weeks of treatment, her blood pressure has fallen and she has an appointment with her M.D. to get off of the meds! She was so excited. The funny thing is, that's not even what she had initially come to see me for.

I could go on with other stories because they are all very special to me, but the point is...I love what I do! I couldn't be happier. :)

A Morning With The Hamburglers

I took Tillie to a puggy's day today! I thought it would be a good way to get to know some people in the area and make new connections. It was hilarious!

Everyone met at a dog park nearby and someone brought a wading pool so the pugs could stay cool. Of course, Tillie wore her swimsuit. ;) Other pugs were in their gear, too. One of them was dressed as a lifeguard...so funny. His name was Henry Pee Pugpants. He was a huge pug. I don't know that he could even walk around the pool, much less save anyone's life but I wasn't going to ruin his dream by telling him that.

Tillie ran and played the whole time. She loves other dogs. I think it's something about being around others who accept her hamburger obsession. Noone there judges her for stealing hamburgers. It's a pug thing.

I'm pretty sure she had a crush on the 14 year old "Killer" who doesn't get around too well. He's so old that his face has turned white and he's so obese that he has trouble going to the bathroom. I think Tillie may be a gold digger. He was wearing a really nice bandana and I think that was her alterior motive. She followed him a lot and sat in the pool with him.

Boy, was she tired afterward. She sprawled out in front of the A/C vent and slept the whole way home and then more after she got home. I took pictures but I don't know where the USB to upload them is. Bummer! I'll post them when I find them. Here are some that others took and posted on the meetup site:

Tillie and her friends. Even though that pug is ginormous, that is not Killer. They didn't have a picture of him so I will have to show you when I find the USB.

Tillie is so rotten. She didn't like it that Chloe was getting attention and had to come over because she was jealous.

I've Been Tagged!

I was tagged by Tara...You could be next!

1. If you could inherit a comfortable home in any city in the world that you could use but not sell, where would you want it to be?
I would want a summer or winter home. A real getaway somewhere exotic so that I could go there and feel relaxed and comfortable. It would also have to be somewhere I could have fun. So, I say maybe in Venice or Florence. Wine and cheese, Baby!

2. If you could be instantly fluent in one other language that you currently do not read or speak, which would it be? Why?
Since I speak so many languages, this is a hard one. Psych! I would learn Spanish, but from someone who speaks with a Brazilian or Venazuelan dialect. It's the prettiest sounding to me.

3. If you were given an hour to spend an unlimited amount of money in any store in the world where would it be?
Only an hour? In that case, I would go to Fry's Electronics so that I could just buy the whole store for Mike and we wouldn't have to go there every other day for a new cable or microchip or mouse. Haha! He'd appreciate that.

4. If you had to give your children to the care of someone famous, whom would you pick?
Well, if we are talking about my current babies...Sam, Tillie and Deedee, then I would give them to Ellen Degeneres. Does anyone really question that one? ;) But, if we are talking about a real live human being that I make with my own DNA that might be a tough one. Maybe Dr. Phil and Robin?

5. If you could cast an actor now alive to play you in a new film, what kind of film would it be and whom would you choose?
Meg Ryan in a romantic comedy. I used to really like her.

6. If you could have an elegant dinner alone with anyone presently alive, whether you know them or not, who would you want it to be?
It would be Michael. Dinners with him are always special. And maybe the rest of my family. Let's just make it a party!

7. If you could resolve any single dispute, anywhere in the world what would you solve?
I wish that it was easy for people to have faith in God no matter what race or nationality they are.

8. If you were instantly able to play one musical instrument perfectly that you have never played before, what would it be?
The violin.

It's my turn to tag someone -Jen and Amanda. Have fun!

Happy Independence Day!

I loooooove fireworks and I am so excited about the 4th! Yay for sparklers!

Wholistic Healing Pics

This is what you see when you first walk into my office. Under the clock, I'm putting "WHOLISTIC HEALING" in these letters I bought from Walmart but I haven't stained them brown yet. There is more seating on the left as well as the receptionist desk as you see 2 pictures below.

This is that wall to the right in the above picture. The picture of the cross on the wall is actually way prettier in person.

This is the extra seating I was talking about. That big box is in the picture because my new adjusting table had just been delivered. You can see Mike's little head sticking up above the receptionist desk. Hehe.

This is the adjusting room when you first walk in. It was before I had my new adjusting table.

This is the wall that you can't see in the previous picture. It's the view from my desk. You also can't see the pretty mirror hanging to the left of the door. Like I said, you have to see it in person. These cell phone pics aren't that great.

The Office

I'm finally up and running! I opened my doors last Monday after a ton of work painting, hanging, measuring, buying and making Dad and delivery men drive all over Texas to get my furniture. Luckily, with the help of Aunt Cindy and Uncle Don as well as used office furniture stores, I was able to completely furnish all 500 square feet in what I consider to be beautifully decorated. Everyone is invited...no, encouraged! to stop by and check it out. A) You know you want to come see me and B) It'll make my neighbors think I'm already really popular and they'll send their friends to the new amazing chiropractor. ;)



Everything is running extremely smoothly. I love my office. It's just the right size and it makes me feel at home. Sometimes I want to sleep here. Ok, not really. But once, I did fall asleep on my adjusting table. I had been up oober late the night before decorating or buying stuff at Walmart or something and I was just going to read my magazine that I bought to furnish the waiting area and poof! I was asleep. For only like ten minutes and then the crazy supervisor of the management company came flying in here screaming about trash stickers or signage or I don't even know what and that was the end of that. I jumped and almost fell onto the floor when I heard her screaming at Michael. He told her I wasn't here. What? Don't judge me. You would fall asleep too under the exact same circumstances.



So far, I've had a grand total of two patients. Whoo-hoo! But they come in twice a week so I've had a couple more adjustments than that. My small business attorney and CPA stopped in today. I'm really lucky to have such great people working with me. My CPA always tells me to trust in God and my business will grow. My small business attorney says he doesn't know how to market because most lawyers are paperwork phenes and don't really socialize much. Lol. Next week, I'm going to go around to neighboring businesses and introduce myself and offer a discount for services. If anyone has any other ideas on how to get my name out there, I'm open to suggestion! I might also run an ad in the local paper. Mike's been working really hard on advertising online, so I have ads on Yahoo! and Google. I was going to join a woman's group, but they break for the summer. I've heard mixed review about the local chamber and BNI but I'll probably join them anyway as long as I have the time. I've heard this is a word-of-mouth town, so hopefully I can find the biggest mouths and treat them first! :D



I'm so excited to help people and know that God put me here for a reason. Even if it is only to help one person. I'm going to give that one person the treatment that they need to get better. The rest is up to Him.

Pictures to come.

Warm Weather Is Here And So Is Your Need For Hydration!

You've probably heard that you need to drink eight 8-ounce cups of water each day, but did you know that number is merely for children? If you are larger than a child, you should be consuming more. A good rule of thumb is a quart for every 50 pounds of body weight. That means if you weigh 200 pounds, you should be drinking a full gallon! Athletes should drink even more.

Our bodies are made up of approximately 70% water. It flushes things through, transports important ions and hormones and allows our cells to function properly. Without adequate amounts, symptoms such as dry skin, headaches and constipation will occur. Long term side effects can cause organs to slowly stop functioning.

Here are some helpful hints for your summertime thirst-quencher:
-Your source of water is important. Spring water is best due to the fact that it contains valuable minerals.
-Another good option is filtered water. Filtered water can be obtained through low-cost filters, such as those provided by Brita or PUR brands. Another recommendation of mine is the GE SmartWater brand.
-Avoid distilled water due to the fact that it has no mineral content in it and can drain your body of minerals. Certain mineral deficiencies have been tied to hair loss and decreased immune function.
-Avoid tap water due to the added chlorine and fluoride which can cause bone loss and lead to osteoporosis.
-Glass or clear polyethylene containers are best.
-Another option are the BPA (Bisphenol-A) free containers. BPA is found in plastics and exhibits hormone-like properties and imitates the effects of naturally occurring estrogens. This can cause a hormone imbalance and lead to a multitude of symptoms.
-Don't drink ice-cold water. It can harm the sensitive lining to your stomach. Room temperature beverages have been shown to boost metabolism.

Enjoy your summer by drinking plenty of water! Your body will thank you.

Old Man Farts

I joined this amazing gym up the road in Flower Mound. I've been a member of the 24 Hour Fitness but I'm not happy with the gym that's nearby. Plus, my membership there was about the end soon anyway.

So, the gym in Flower Mound has everything that you would ever need. It's 3 floors and has a million classes to choose from at any given time: treadmill, cycling, water aerobics, weight lifting, yoga/pilates, step; you name it. This evening, I decided to take a cycling class. I've always enjoyed the ones at 24 and wanted to give this gym a go. At most gyms, the 6 o'clock hour is the busiest time because people are getting off work, so I expected the class to be packed. When I walked in, there was one very obvious trait among the other class attendees. They were all 40+ men except for about 2 other women. I guess that's not abnormal for a family gym like this one, but it was a vast distinction from the trendy 24 Hour.

Overall, it was a great class! At first, I thought the instructor was trying to be cute and her outfit was a joke. "She must be going to a costume party after this," was a thought that ran through my mind. She was dressed in a unitard that looked like a one piece bathing suit over bicycle shorts; you know, like what you would wear with your scrunched socks in 1983. Her outfit was complete with a rolled tie dye bandanna headband under her large curled bangs and heavy blue eyeshadow. Luckily, she was missing the socks. But it turns out she wasn't joking. This is what she dresses like normally. At least her music and instructions were up to date and the hour flew by.

All in all, it was a pretty unmemorable workout; great but not memorable. Except for one thing...the hovering green cloud that hung in the air. Gas is suppose to diffuse, right?! All of the older men were regulars and knew each other by name. If this is the case, then the farter must be a regular too. I don't know if I will be returning to the Thursday 6 pm cycling class. That is the most unbearable smell I've encountered. Even for a gymnasium full of stinky people! Maybe next time I'll sit in the front row in front of the fans just in case.

Sex & The City

I went and saw Sex & the City on midnight last Thursday night and it was everything that I wanted it to be. Sweet Michael took me to the opening premier because none of my friends are around anymore.

I'd never really watched Sex & the City until about a year ago. My friend Cori had the entire series on DVD. We would swap series between all of the girls to catch up. They were addicting! I never thought I would be one to get into them but Carrie left you feeling hopeful and happy at the end of her narrative.

Anyway, we were all suppose to go on our own and watch the show. I'm glad Mike took me! If any of you guys are fans, you should go! Even if you're not, Mike had never seen a show (so he says ;)) and he followed it just fine. You will love it, I promise.

She Wore An Itsy Bitsy...

We went shopping today and I couldn't resist buying this for Tillie. The family is going to Red River, NM in a couple of weeks when Joshua gets his month of leave and Tillie will be all set! She's ready to show off her booty.

I think Tillie likes to wear bikinis.

Pirate's Booty

Earlier this week, I took Samson and Matilda to the lake for some much needed exercise. I think Tillie was a fish in another lifetime. As soon as she saw the lake, she took off running and dove head first and swam to her heart's content for an hour. I had to make her come out of the water. She loooved it! I knew she loved water because when I run a bath she climbs up and topples in. Then she splashes and splashes and will climb on the back of the tub (it has a ledge like steps in the back) and jump off like she's diving off of a diving board. I guess that should have been a clue. That girlie loves water.

Samson is another story. It cracks me up that the horse of a dog is afraid of everything. If a bush blew and a twig hit him, he would jump and run to me. It's beyond comical. At one point, he was wading in the water (and that's an exaggeration. He never got more than his paws wet) and he saw a rock jutting out of the water in front of him and he got all scared and started growling. Even after I walked up to it and touched it, he thought for sure the rock was going to run after him and bite him. He wouldn't go near it. I don't know that he's necessarily afraid of water, but he's afraid to get too far from me and venture out. He's our sensitive little boy.

Oh, and Tillie found a hidden treasure. Tillie is pretty good about learning when I tell her not to chew on things, but for some reason it's impossible for her to resist sunglasses. If I leave my purse on the floor, she will dig through it until she finds my sunglasses and then take them in the corner and gnaw on them. That's why it's so funny that she found this old pair of glasses along the lake:

She pranced around with them like they were a grand prize or she had just taken them from a ship full of pirates.

ZZzzzzZZZzzzzz...

Are you getting enough sleep at night? Adults need a recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night in order to achieve optimal health. When we sleep, our pineal gland restores our body of melatonin (to help our circadian or sleep rhythm) and serotonin (important for many things including depression). These are among other hormones which are vital to our metabolism and cellular oxidation.

Lack of adequate sleep can lead to behavioral changes including mood swings and irrational or immoral attitudes and actions, loss of concentration throughout the day, decreased energy, headaches, digestive problems or lowered immunity.

If you aren't getting enough sleep, it's important to find the cause. Do you have trouble falling asleep due to restlessness or mind wandering? Do you have trouble staying asleep due to nightmares or awaking to go to the bathroom? Figuring this out can help treat the cause and allow you a better night's rest.

Here are some helpful tips so you can catch your "z's" and keep them:

-Exercise regularly. 30 minutes at least 3 times a week can rid underlying anxieties that you may have. However, don't exercise too close to bedtime or this will hinder your ability to fall asleep.
-Sleep in complete darkness. Even the slightest bit of light can throw off your hormone production and disrupt your sleep rhythm.
-Read inspirational or spiritual literature before you go to bed.
-Consciously slow your breathing and imagine your body relaxing. Start either at your forehead or your toes and climb all the way up until your whole body is relaxed.
-Avoid bedtime snacks. If you must have something at bedtime, try a relaxing tea like chamomile or ginger. Definitely avoid sugars or grains.
-Listen to a relaxing CD of nature or white noise.

If you are questioning whether you have sleep deprivation, keep this in mind: you should be able to fall asleep within minutes of laying down; you should wake up in the morning without an alarm clock; and, when you do wake up, it should not be a jolting or disruptive event and you should feel refreshed. If you fit in this category, try the above mentioned techniques. If you are still having trouble, try such products as the rising sun alarm clock and talk to your chiropractor about underlying causes.

Reality Bites

Here is the reality...

Mike did not take the rent house. Before he signed the lease, it had rained and the master bedroom flooded and mildewed. There were other problems, too. The landlord turned out to be the realtor. The realtor lied about being the landlord so that he could swindle more money by making statements like "the landlord needs someone to move in now. The landlord needs X for pet deposit," etc. etc. It was very sneaky and untrustworthy.

So here we are. Mike's rent is up at the end of the month. It would be wise for him to just get something temporary; like say, an apartment for a shorter term, save up some money and then buy. But there's Sammy. The apartment complexes in this area don't like big dogs. Sammy is very large. Well over the weight limit. Besides that, it wouldn't be fair to Sam. He needs a yard and room to stretch out his big paws. But then, he's very lazy and would probably be ok in an apartment. He doesn't run around much or chew on things or get in trouble. But if he had an accident...well, let's just say it would only take one to ruin the carpet. And living in an apartment, he would have to learn to go to the bathroom on a schedule when you walk him down which could take some training. And you would have to pick it up with a doggie bag. Eeew. It would take at least two per trip for him.

I think about not seeing Sammy's droopy eyes anymore and cry. He is such a sweet creature. He wants to hide his big head in your lap or under your armpit and would cuddle all day if you let him. I love him.

Traveling Adventures

Mike took me and the pups to Kingwood last weekend. It's always so hard to travel with Tillie and Sammy. Samson is getting so big that he almost takes up the entire back seat of Mike's Civic. He usually ends up sitting on Tillie. She just sits there looking like a squished bug with her tongue sticking out and eyeballs protruding.

They like to go to the Gallagher's back yard. Sammy is a gardener. He makes sure that by the time he leaves, there is not a plant left that is still alive (sorry Mrs. Gallagher!). They both love the low lying ivy. That's the usual hang-out for them to curl up and get some rest. And the good news is that they haven't figured out how to kill that yet.

Mike's sister, Tara, was up from Victoria with her beautiful baby girl, Hannah. She's such a treat! It's always good to see them.

On Saturday, I met up with a friend from college who lives down there now. We talked like we never lost touch. Funny how that happens. She's planning on coming up to Dallas to visit. Good times!

Opening Soon!

Today I went and put a deposit down on the space in Southlake! Yay! It still has to be approved by the current tenant (it's a sublease) and the owner, but the realtor congratulated me and said it shouldn't be a problem! Finally! It's such a primo space. In the square. Above the shopping centers (Gap and...get this...Starbucks!). I'm so excited. It's pretty small; only a reception area and a treating room, but to me it's perfect.

So, no, I don't have it yet. But I'm pretending that I do. And unless I hear otherwise, you must all pretend with me. It should only be a few weeks. The realtor said he anticipates me starting the lease by the end of the month. Go to the website and check out my space...181 Grand Avenue Ste 200 Southlake, Texas 76092. www.southlaketownsquare.com.

Monthly Catch Up

I officially finished with Parker College of Chiropractic! OK, it was like almost two weeks ago but I'm just now telling about it so I'll pretend like it just happened. I think it seriously took this long for it to even sink in. Not that it totally has; I still feel like I'm holding my breath until I get that diploma. Nonetheless, I do feel some sense of relief. :)

I am still looking for an office space. The space that I loved had landlords that were unable to negotiate and it really was more space than I needed. I'm still having trouble finding a realtor. I've probably talked to five and they will only show me spaces that they have. That means they're not really representing me. Their interests lie elsewhere and it is so frustrating. If I ask them to represent me and not the landlord they want me to sign a contract stating that if they find me a space and the landlord doesn't pay their commission, then I am responsible for paying their commission. No thanks. I go to look at more space next week so hopefully my finances will be strong enough and my business plan will convince them that I am worthy of signing. There's one space in particular that I am really excited about looking at. It's much smaller so it's reasonable rent, a sublease so it's shorter term and it's in the beautiful square. I'm trying not to get my hopes up though.

I got to see Joshua, as previously noted! His spirits and looks are as beautiful as ever! He is such an amazing person. I'm lucky God picked him as my brother.

Summer came through Dallas this weekend for her mawmaw's surgery. :( It sounds like her mawmaw did really well, as expected. I got to go to lunch with Summer and her mom and step dad. They are just the sweetest ever! They even came and picked me up and took me to Chuy's. My car had a bad wheel bearing so I was without transportation. I don't know what that means beyond the fact that there has been an ever so faint whistling noise and Dad says my tire could fall off. Well, it's fixed now. Finally.

Mike is getting ready to move closer to me in Grapevine! He found a beautiful little 3 bedroom home right near the lake. He moves at the end of next month. Yay for saving on gas money!

OhmigoshOhmigoshOhmigoshOhmigosh!

We've received word...Joshua is coming home on Saturday! Actually touching ground in the United States! We're not sure when he'll be able to come home. He lands in Fort Bragg and we are hoping he will get a long weekend the week after he lands and we will be able to see him then. Mom and Dad are flying to North Carolina to be in his receiving line. How cool is that?! So emotional, though. I can't wait to see him!

Also...I looked at the most perfect office space in the entire world today! I'm really crossing my fingers that it works out for me. It's so perfect. It's right across the street from high school just off the main road. When you pull up, there is a really neat and eclectic water fountain that would be just in front of my doorway. It has room for growth and even enough room for a massage therapist. Hopefully, we can negotiate the rent down just a tad and they will accept our financials. That is pretty much what we are waiting for. They even said they can hold it until June when I'm licensed! Pray, pray, pray for me!

It's A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood

Friday, I went to a vendor event at a church revival in Southlake. Jamee and Amelie had scheduled it a few months ago, apparently, thinking it was in Flower Mound (their neighborhood). They invited me along to help get my name out in the community. I made a few contacts that hopefully will come through once I open in a few months! Still no news on a space. I've contacted a few Realtors who unfortunately, have been the least bit helpful. I've actually called more places and checked out more on my own than they have done combined. I guess they just don't need the business. Ah well. God's timing is in His hands and I can wait it out.

I know that this is terribly rude, but I must inform you guys of Mike's crazy neighbors. Seriously, the strangest group of people reside on his block. I have always found them amusing, but until recently have just taken it at face value. Until I actually articulated their qualities all at once, I suppose I just tossed aside their hilarity. Now, I feel it is almost my obligation to allow someone else the entertainment that Mike sees on a daily basis.

Across the street, we have a lonely woman probably in her fifties who stalks Michael and runs out whenever he goes outside. We first noticed her probably the day that Michael moved in. "Michael! Jeeeeennifer! I have to tell y'all something!" (I don't really remember when or how she learned our names because we have yet to learn hers.) She always screams that out like she's about to tell us the house is on fire, but when she catches up to us, she simply fills us in on the gossip that she has spied out on the block. "Watch out for those people next door. They drink."She has tracked me down a few times and always asks about the puppies and whether or not I can help her with her fibromyalgia; of which I always give her my card although she has never and probably will never call me due to the fact that she could no longer talk to me about her pain and suffering whenever she sees me. She is always loopy because she lives off of pain killers, yet she constantly complains of falling asleep whenever she is sitting down. I feel sorry for her. She has about 20 cats that live with her indoors and two dogs that she can't control even though she brags about her niece being a dog trainer. We once caught her spying on a backyard party across the street by peeking through the fence in a dark alley, but she pretended that she was just looking for one of her lost cats.

Next door to her, is Rocky. I'm not quite sure how this group of people live in such tiny quarters, but from what I've seen, there are two women with toddlers living here along with Rocky. Together, somehow that adds up to about five cars. I sometimes see the women outside with their babies but they aren't very friendly. Their children are always crying and they are usually not doing much about it. Rocky (not that we know his actual name; it's just what we've always called him) can be found every night at about 10 pm until midnight punching on his punching bag. It's a sound that you cannot miss. Pat, pat, pat, pat, pat. For hours. Every night. When he's not pounding on the bag, you may see him running down the road. Awkwardly enough, we always seem to be pulling in to Mike's driveway right about the same time that he is sprinting into his. Mike tries with all of his might not to hum "In the Eye of the Tiger" in front of him. We have no idea what he is training for. He doesn't speak to us either.

Directly next door to Mike is the meanest woman I've ever met. She makes me uncomfortable. She is actually quite attractive. Probably in her thirties. Dresses really nice. Slender and blond. But mean. She doesn't really communicate, so much as she barks at people. She has two dogs that share the chain link fence with Michael. One is a really sad looking blue dog who almost has to have been a rescue dog by his mannerisms. He is very skittish and looks like he might bite you out of fear. The other is a hound dog. Her name is Georgia. We know this because every time Georgia goes outside she starts howling at something and the neighbor comes out and starts cursing and yelling Georgia's name. Mike once was outside and overheard her phone conversation. She was cursing about someone that she works with. She curses a lot. When Michael first got a puppy, she came and knocked on the door and told Mike to bring in his puppy because the dogs haven't properly been introduced. We still have no idea what she meant by that.

Does everyone have such strange people on their block? These are just the people directly surrounding Mike's house. Not that we don't love them for who they are; it's just that I think their quirkiness is amusing. I'm sure they think the same thing about us.

Shout Out!

Tomorrow is Jeff's birthday! Happy birthday, Bubba! Hope it's a great one! I sent him something in the mail, but I didn't actually put it in the mailbox until yesterday. Ooopsie. It will be a tad late. Tuesday was my friend Amelie's birthday, too. We took her to brunch yesterday at Mimi's Cafe. If you've never been there, you must go and have one of their amazing muffins. Wonderful!

I bought Tillie and Sammy shirts for St. Patrick's Day! Tillie's said "I put the me in awesome" and Sammy's was a hoodie that just said "Varsity." That lasted all of one day. They tried them on and Michael left them in the backyard to rumble and before you know it, the shirts are in shambles. :( But, I did get some poor quality pictures before hand. Have a happy St. Patrick's Day!

Insight

At a motivational assembly I attended a few weeks ago, the speaker talked about how she used to feel hopeless and useless. She said that she was once suicidal and experienced the lowest level of depression imaginable. She said that she didn't trust who she was and certainly couldn't imagine that anyone would appreciate her for everything that she was. She didn't even see everything that she was. She said that she used to take those little quizzes in the Cosmo magazine and she would cheat and circle answers that she thought were cool, but not what she actually did or felt or believed. She said she would put those out on her coffee table so that if anyone ever came over and happened to flip through them, they would see her answers and think she was so much better than she really was. Her point in telling this, was to go on to talk about how she pulled herself up from the bottom to become something great and achieve success through chiropractic. I would like to make a different point with her story.

The reason that I got into chiropractic was to help people. Amazingly, back then I had no idea how much I could offer from everything that I learned. Recently, I've found that my most favorite technique to use on patients is energy work. Every cell in your body has a specific energy from which it functions. This energy can be interrupted by emotional stresses, illnesses, diseases, trauma or psychological factors. Emotional energy balancing allows your body to return to its natural state and heal itself. It is amazing stuff.

After practicing on about 100 visits or so, I've found that the hardest thing for people to do is to love and accept themselves. And it is hard! How many times do you take a look at yourself in the mirror and say, "I love you?" How many times do you reassure yourself with words of confirmation? Repeat after me: I completely accept and love myself and my power as a wo/man. Sounds silly, doesn't it? But it was probably hard to say, right? Challenge for the week: Remind yourself at every chance that you love and completely accept yourself for who you are, what you've seen, what you've done or haven't done and really mean it. It's easy to tell others how much we love and admire them. The new found respect that you have for yourself could give you the strength to accomplish things you've been setting your heart on.

Go Vote!

Today is voting day for the Texas primaries. Texas is suppose to be a deciding factor for Democratic candidates. I love the fact that the democrats are the only ones getting the publicity (sarcasm). Well, I take that back. Republicans are getting publicity for an improper relationship with a lobbyist. RME. I'm saddened that there are not better candidates running. I'm disappointed in the conservatives. Obviously with Joshua being in the war, that is the topic that I most focus on when looking for who to put in office. In my opinion, there is not a clear cut conservative. McCain has a good view on war but I don't agree with his border policies or abortion rights. Huckabee is a hard line conservative and I like most of his views but he doesn't have a definite plan for the war. Neither one of them have the charisma to carry the country which is in desperate need of a morale boost. If Hillary is elected, I may have to move to Canada. Obama seems to think you can reason with suicide bombers. We could be in trouble! I'm definitely praying for the right person to be in leadership of our country. You should too! Go vote, Texans!

Mike is out of town in California until Friday so I have Tillie and Sammy. They crack me up! Sammy is finally realizing that he is bigger than Tillie and won't cower down to her anymore. Tillie still teases him and badgers him into subordination, though. Tillie will find a toy and prance around with it in her mouth and Sammy will want it so bad, but he's so uncoordinated and slow. He trips over his own feet all of the time. It's so cute.

I've been working on finding an office space, but it's not easy! I'm wondering if I should find my own realtor instead of just calling listings that I happen to run across...??? I still have plenty of time and know that I will find the right place, but right now maybe I need help looking? Mike has been working on my website really hard and it's coming along great! You guys can check it out. It's not finished. I still have my pictures to put up and a lot of information to fill in. Let me know what you guys think of the layout though. http://wholistichealingchiropractic.com/example.html

Tillie Has A New BFF

Friday Mike and I went to watch a band that he knows pretty well. They're called Titan Moon and the members are really great Christian people with a Indie-type sound (I guess that's what you call them?). It was fun. They played in Fort Worth. We looove Fort Worth. We went to dinner at H3...again! and then went to Sundance Square to some small trendy place (which is weird because I wouldn't think Fort Worth had a crowd like that an truth be told we go to Ft. Worth to escape that type of crowd but nonetheless...). We had a good time. They are good company and we met some of their fans that are good peeps as well.

I had off Thursday through Sunday and you would think that I would have accomplished bunches, but I didn't. :) Pretty much all that I succeeded in doing was laughing at Tillie as she tried to sneak up on the stuffed barking dog that Mike bought for her. It was wonderful. (The doing nothing. The Tillie barking was OK, too.) All in all, I feel rejuvenated and grateful.

Tillie and her new best friend.

Who Rained On My Parade?

I am in the most negative, horrific mood ever. Not really that anything happened. Nothing at all happened actually! Why, then, do I feel so down and out?! Things are good! I'm about half way through Internship III, I have great things ahead of me with the new practice, yet all I can think about is how I'm suppose to go to this stupid assembly in 30 minutes and sit there for 2 hours surrounded by people that I have nothing in common with and in a place I don't want to be in. On top of that, my staff doctor seems to have a grudge about having me as an intern because he "wasn't suppose to have anymore tri 9's" and has no problem helping everyone under the sun except for me. Even an alumni came in for me today and he has a nice chat about helping her find space and giving her connections to her community. I feel like an outsider who has to beg for hand outs that noone helps because they don't like her. :( And it's all totally me. It's all my attitude and perception. Tons of people are helping me, yet I can only focus on the negative. I have to change my attitude! Fine. Starting.....now. ;)

Wholistic Healing Chiropractic

Ok, not to overwhelm you with blog posts, but I totally forgot what made me especially busy this week...I've decided to open a practice in Southlake, Texas! It's just outside of Dallas near DFW airport. It's a beautiful community; a very wealthy area known for it's excellent school systems and football program. It was actually rated in the top 20 cities of the US by Money Magazine and others.

So, above is my logo and the name of my clinic and I've started looking for space. I'll probably be opening for business in Julyish. Be praying for me! I need reasonable rent, equipment and some swift but smart decision making skills! Oddly enough, I feel very at peace and relaxed about the situation. That could be because I haven't faced major decisions yet and it's still a ways down the road or it could be what I've been praying about for the past year...peace and a sense of finding the correct path. We shall see!

This Week

Who knew a week could fly by so fast? A very busy week, I suppose. Valentine's Day was great for me too! Mike had told me in advance that he was getting me Godiva chocolates and he had made dinner plans for a Japanese Steakhouse. He gets so excited about his plans that he can't wait, so I got it out of him like a week before! Hehe. That morning he had called me and kept asking if I was going home for lunch which I hadn't planned on but found the time for anyway. When I walked in, he had small pieces of paper held down by Hershey's kisses. Each one led to the other and he had written comments that said "This kiss is for..." and they eventually led up to a bunch of kisses that said " I heart U!" and a dozen red roses. So sweet and thoughtful.

Also, this week, I got to spend time with my friend's 8 year old little boy. Mike had to fly to California for his manager's funeral Saturday night and my friend had plans so I offered to keep her son. We had so much fun! We ordered pizza and rented an XBox game and played all night and all morning until we beat it just in time for his mom to come and get him. He cracks me up. He's lived in Dallas for almost 4 years but still has a huge West Texas accent. While we were looking at video games, he would say "That game there sure is a good game, Jen." You can take the boy out of West Texas, but you can't take the West Texas out of the boy. Lol. What a gem.

Airports

I have a love hate relationship with airports. Everyone hates the hustle bustle of people frantically trying to get to their gate and selfishly rude people with no understanding of the fact there there are others in need of reaching their own place of arrival or departure; yet, I'm always awed at the number of different people all gathered in one place. I like to daydream about where each person is headed or where they came from and why. Is the rude girl with way too much makeup who refuses to make eye contact or smile at anyone else going to meet her sugar daddy in Vegas because she doesn't have enough respect for herself to fulfill her own goals and dreams? Is the young man wearing his Army greens coming to or from war, or is that sparkle in his eye pride and a sense of accomplishment from recently finishing bootcamp and excitement in returning home to his family for a warm welcome? How cool is it to think that there are so many amazingly different people in the world and God is able to individualize each one in his own way and give them each their own specific plan? God is cool. So are airports.

Vegas, Baby!

Vegas was awesome! It was so good to see all of the chiro girls. It was just like noone ever left. We had a ton of fun! We went to Margaritaville the first night, which is oddly entertaining with the girl sliding down the volcano into a tub of water and all of the people walking on stealts. One of them made some of the girls balloon hats to wear around. Fun times!

The next day we spent at the chiropractic expo. It's huge and has all kinds of cool alternative health information. Although Lilia and Cori picked out the most lame seminar ever that I had to spend 1.5 hours sitting through, it was really fun to walk through the expo and we saw a lot of alumni that we used to know. That night, we had Lilia's and Katie's bachelorette parties! It was a blast. We made them wear tacky veils and everyone else wore these light up pins that said "party in progress" on them. We ended that night spending everything in our purses on high dollar Wheel Of Fortune slot machines where we obviously didn't win.

The last day, we did some shopping and went to a show at Bally's that was The Price Is Right Live where they had the same guy (Randy something) that used to do the commentary and the host was the guy from Whammy. I didn't get called to come on down and I was really anticipating getting to bid. :( Oh well, I probably would have embarrassed myself anyway! I was way off on the prices of most things. Katie got called for an automatic $10 or something though!

It was a fast trip but all in all it was perfect! I miss the girls so much and considering they were my comfort for the last 3 years, it's been really lonely without them. I don't, however, miss the Sidewalk Cafe and their $20 omelets (that's pretty much all we ate for the entire 3 days). Vegas is expensive, but amazing; especially when you're with such sweet, fun girls. I'm really thankful that I got to spend those rough years slaving at the books with such positive and inspirational people and it's wonderful that we can make it back together every now and then.

No, I don't have any pictures. I left my camera sitting on my kitchen table and noone has emailed out the others but I will post them if and when I recieve them! Bummer, I know.

Picture Update!

DeeDee likes to model for the camera. It's sometimes hard to get a good picture of her because she is so black but she's pretty much beautiful.

This is Samson (AKA Sammy, Samsonite, SamBone, Samsam. It's amazing he's learned his name, really.) And next to him on the rug is Tillie's favorite cheerleader chew toy that she doesn't like to share.

Tillie always looks surprised, doesn't she? LOL. Notice her bling hanging down from her pink collar?

The Fort Worth Symphony Play! for Mike's birthday. It was pretty neat to hear all of the old school songs. There were many that I didn't recognize even from the pictures they displayed but I think Mike knew most of them and they even did Halo just for him.

Do you want a hamburger?! Tillie loves hamburgers and it can get her attention even in the midst of her frolicking in the park. She usually cocks her head one way then the other then barks!

Mike's birthday, I think. I was just being silly, I guess.

Tiffany (l) and Jamee (r) last night at Tiff's bday party. I think she had fun and Sambuca was fun with the R&B band and good food!

Me and Jamee last night. I forgot we were doing a ghetto pose so she looks really mean.

More Birthdays!

Today is my friend Tiffany's birthday! Everyone wish her a happy birthday! We shall celebrate tomorrow at a hip place in uptown called Sambuca that she has wanted to try and everyone around will go and it will be a great time. :)

With her birthday, I'm realizing that I am old. Not in number, but in soul. You may laugh, but I am serious. I was talking to another friend yesterday, and we realized that we had spent all of our lives in school and while other people our age have families with children to keep them young, we have our careers. Not that I don't love what I do, but I always imagined having children sooner rather than later because I want to enjoy them while I am young. I say them like there even is a them. Maybe one child someday. The friend I was talking to is 27 and her husband is 30. Those numbers just seem so much older than we are! Ahhh, it's a sad day when you finally face your mortality.

Fats For Thought

This just in...fat on your hips is better for your brain! I read a new research article today that suggests that women with an hourglass figure may on average be brighter and have more clever children. Go women with back! One possible reason is the greater percentage of omega 3 fats found on the hips. The study examined 16,000 women and girls, and found that women with a greater difference between the waist and hips scored significantly higher on cognitive tests, as did their children. Those with a waist-to-hip ratio between 0.6 and 0.7 achieved the highest scores. Fat around hips and thighs holds higher levels of omega 3 fats, which are essential for the growth of the brain during pregnancy. Fat around the waist may have higher levels of omega 6 fats acids, which are less well suited to brain growth. Good sources of your omega 3's which you must receive from nutrition because your body doesn't produce them are fish, flax seed, and walnuts.



While on the subject of fats, do you know the best oils to cook with? I would only have two in my kitchen. Probably the most well know would be extra virgin olive oil. Another one that is even better than that is coconut oil. I've been hearing about coconut oil for a little while but just now started using it. When looking for oils, you want to have saturated fats. Saturated fats don't have any double bonds in them and therefore are easy for your body to reuse. Unsaturated and trans fats are not easy to break down and your body ends up storing them instead of utilizing the free energy. Coconut oil is also high in omega 3's. Corn, sunflower, safflower and vegetable oils are high in omega 6's and not helpful. So start melting that coconut oil, girls and be proud of those birthing hips!

Vaccinations

I log into my yahoo page and look at the top stories: "Despite mandatory childhood vaccinations, chickenpox is on the rise in North Texas." Interesting. It states that as of 2001, Texas requires all children entering kindergarten to receive the chickenpox vaccination. I have to question the reasoning behind this. Is it merely for convenience purposes (I don't have time for my child to be sick) or is it monetary (whoever makes that vaccine is now rolling in dough and the FDA actually may be receiving kick backs for mandating it). I don't really see any other purpose to eradicate chickenpox. It can be serious in adult cases where the adult was never exposed to the virus and it can lead to shingles later on in life but a mandatory vaccination? Really? Well, it must really be working well considering the rise in chickenpox AFTER the vaccination has been out for a while. Ha. Way to go FDA! Thanks for making the chickenpox mutate and become a serious illness where before it was a mild childhood nuisance.

I often have parents question the debate on vaccinations. It is a highly controversial debate and ultimately up to the parents. In no way am I telling people not to vaccinate their children. That being said, I have done much research and know that I, personally will not be giving a majority of the vaccinations. The facts are astounding.

The Institute of Medicine held a meeting to review research that has been found, which links thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative in vaccines, and neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism. The panel used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Vaccine Datalink, which concluded that children who are given three thimerosal-containing vaccines are 27 times more likely to develop autism than children who receive thimerosol-free vaccines.


Thimerosal has been gradually removed from vaccines since 1999, however it is still present in many vaccinations, including virtually all flu shots.

During the review, medical experts discussed the results from a study that showed urinary mercury concentrations were six times higher in children with autism, as opposed to normal-age/vaccine matched controls. They also said that they found evidence that suggested the link between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism had a higher risk than that between lung cancer and smoking cigarettes.

Let's face it, mercury is a potent neurotoxin. Injecting it into a child with a rapidly developing nervous system can have terrible consequences. Consequences that go way past having a fever, malaise, fatigue, irratability, nausea and pain at the injection sight of the vaccination.

It is true that in many childhood vaccines, the mercury has now been removed -- but only to be replaced with equally damaging toxins such as aluminum and formaldehyde.
Here is a partial list of some of the other fillers that vaccines can contain:
-aluminum hydroxide
-animal tissues: pig blood, horse blood, rabbit brain, dog kidney, monkey kidney, chick embryo, human diploid cells (originating from human aborted fetal tissue)
-monosodium glutamate (MSG)
-phenoxyethanol (antifreeze)
-sorbitol
-sucrose

Parents feel guilty if they don't give their kids vaccinations. There are billboards across town with toddlers in diapers and their building blocks spelling out "vaccinate." Ads are placed in the newspaper. The FDA has once again successfully misguided the public into thinking that without vaccinations, their child may catch a dread disease. Go to the CDC website and don't just glance at their charts, read up on where the data came from, the exact numbers, and just how prevalent the disease is in your area. Mike recently had to go to India. If you go to the CDC website, it pretty much spells out death without a handful of vaccinations. I could go through the list and point and laugh at each one individually, but I will spare you. Anyway, after researching it, we found the stats were mere "guesses" and anyone in the country who exhibited suspicious symptoms was diagnosed as having Hepatitis B, polio, malaria or some other dread disease. Needless to say, Mike ate, slept, bathed and lived in nasty India for 2.5 weeks without vaccinations and came back disease free (not that we didn't have a vigorous detox and adjusting party upon his arrival).

And even then, the immune system is an amazing thing! Naomi Judd is at the Parker Seminars in Vegas every year. She was diagnosed with Hepatitis C, a serious illness with a fatal prognosis. Through nutrition, supplementation, adjustments and detoxification there is no illness present to date.

You might be amazed to find out that your child is building his/her own immune system on their own without vaccinations and thus making it harder for those mean bugs to penetrate later on! Take care of your children the way that you are comfortable taking care of them. In my opinion, prevention is key but it's not through vaccinations; it's through building the immune system not breaking it down with harsh preservatives.

You Are My Sunshine

Why is it that when you look forward to having a day off, it always seems to turn out to be a gray, rainy, drizzly day? I had such high hopes of walking the doggies and getting some vitamin D, but the clouds had other plans. I do believe they get some demented pleasure out of watching everyone scrambling about in the rain trying to pretend it's not pouring down on them in order to savour their days off. I imagine them giving dark fluffy high fives to one another for every large drop that hits someone squarely on their heads. Mean clouds. You just wait until the sun gets sick of your silly antics and pushes you away!

I did, however make it to the Northpark Mall and do some unnecessary shopping. Mike gave me a Nordstrom gift card months ago for my birthday and I attempted to find some pretty something to brighten the dull day. No such luck, probably due to the fact that everything in that store costs $300 and that's if you're looking at the sale rack. Lol. Making my way around the bend, I ended up at the Bare Escentuals tiny entryway and bought new foundation and some sparkly eyeshadow. Happiness comes in such small packages. :D

Oooh. I also booked my flight to Vegas for in a few weeks. All the chiro girls are getting together for a reunion and celebration of all of the engagements and weddings that have/are occuring. It works out because Parker has a huge seminar with awesome classes to sit in on and big names in chiropractic will be there. Good times indeed!

Videogames and Puppy Dog Tales

Yesterday was Mike's birthday! He turned 28. Old, I know. ;) I had a theme for the whole weekend...videogames. I got him Halo 3 (I know, just fueling the fire), a bag to carry his XBox in with the controllers and stuff for when he takes it down to Houston, and a new shirt and tie for Saturday night; I bought tickets to the symphony. It's called Play! (yes, that exclamation point is part of the title) and it is music from videogames, so hopefully that'll be fun. I think we'll meet up with friends after that to go karaoke which I'm not very fond of because I've never been able to sing, but everyone else seems to be pretty excited about it. I also made ice cream cone cupcakes and put them together and painted a nintendo controller on them with frosting. It wasn't very pretty but it was cute and I tried! We ate them anyway and gave Samson and Tillie one too. Sammy ate his in two bites and Tillie licked on hers for a while getting frosting on her nose which was so cute!

Today, Tillie threw me for a loop. She's only 7 months old and she started her heat! I had actually just talked to the vet last week about getting her fixed. A little late for that, eh? Well, I called and talked to her today and she said to wait until this is over which could take about 2 weeks! I'm suppose to keep her crated except to go outside where it is freezing for two weeks?! Oh vey. That's not very fun. Poor little princess!

Creative Thinkers Needed!

Mike thought it would be nice to have a webpage for my patients with a ton of chiro info on it (grand idea indeed!) and I'm trying to think of a suave name for it. I was thinking of "Aligning Life" ???? What do you think? Have any ideas? "Snap Crackle Pop"? LOL. JK.

Also...since no one has suggested any topics that I can rant and rave on, I'll throw a few topics out there and you guys pick the most interesting!
-Kids and chiropractic...ADHD, ear infections, allergies, cranial and atlas subluxations, vaccinations
-Neurology behind a subluxation in layman's terms
-Aspartame, MSG and alternatives
-Supplements...the good, the bad, the essential
-The chiro first aid kit...what everyone should have in their medicine cabinet
-How and why to detox
-Emotional stress and how the body deals
-Common symptoms of the non-adjusted
Or anything else your heart desires. :)

I started back at the clinic and despite having absolutely no pride left in my whole being, I am enjoying getting to treat again. I get questions from the few people left there who actually know me and I sometimes feel like I'm being overly criticized by others there and it's probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do; but, I have amazing people that are really helping me out and every day someone makes a small comment of encouragement that boosts me back up to at least sub-par and I finish out the day with a smile.

This morning, I was listening to a Christian broadcast about how God doesn't speak to us through burning bushes anymore (Moses was lucky), but through people's mouths instead. That couldn't be more true. Thank you baby Jesus for sending out those words of encouragement to me these past few days! And, as nerdy as it sounds, (pretty much because it's totally nerdy) I get so elated over being able to diagnose fun ailments. Not that any ailment is fun, but herniated nucleus pulposus and osteophytic IVF encroachment have the same symptoms and putting the pieces of the puzzle together to get the final diagnosis is a trip. :)

The Middle Ground

Something that I struggle to communicate with my patients is the ability to find the middle ground in their lifestyle changes. For example, I was explaining to one patient the difference in herbs and OTC or prescription drugs. I was explaining that aspirin is actually willow bark, which is completely legitimate to take but only when needed. I was explaining the difference in OTC aspirin and the willow bark found in a natural market. Aspirin, is processed, synthesized and made as cheaply as possible. We are trying to give our bodies a more holistic form that would be found in nature, just as when it was discovered. Everyone reacts differently, but for the most part, your body will react more positively and more efficiently when you take something that is in its natural form. This is something that you should NEVER bargain with. Natural is natural is natural people. (On a side note: Then, I was explaining to this particular patient when it is necessary to take an aspirin. Listen to your body. Does your head hurt because of lack of sleep? Stress? Hormones? Dehydration? Lack of blood supply? Allergies? Why are you covering up your symptom with an aspirin? Don't you think you should work on resolving that issue? Your body can take care of itself people. You just have to figure out why it's hurting and help it!)

Later, I was talking with a patient about the benefit of eating organic. Most people are concerned about how costly organic foods can be, and trust me, as a starving student, I understand that. I think everyone has a different area where they draw the line on this one. Do you eat organic simply to get a higher percentage of nutrients from your foods or is it to reduce the number of pesticides/antibiotics you consume or maybe to eliminate any possible neurotoxins or high fructose corn syrup or bad preservatives? Have you also thought about your cleaning items? Does it not concern you when you clean your bathroom that your throat and eyes burn? Or when you mop your floor your children and pets shouldn't be near it or they will get sick? What about hand soaps? Do you realize that by using "antibacterial" that you are actually making it harder to kill the bacteria a few generations down the colonizing line? Did you know that it is actually the friction of the action of hand washing that kills more germs than it is the actual soap? Now, obviously these are all areas of concern when shopping. However, you have to really try to be money conscious if you are pinching your pennies. There is a give and take on this one guys! Plan ahead and do the best you can and after a while, you will figure out where to cut corners. When you really think about it, this is your life. Wouldn't you rather spend money preserving it than on the bills it will take fighting when something bad comes along?

Suggestions for pinching your pennies and still avoiding bad stuff:
-Read the labels on things! Obviously avoid the things in the paragraph above, but more importantly if it has di- mono- bi- and then some big words...probably not good and therefore not worth your money.
-A great all purpose cleaner that kills just as well as the strong smelling harsh stuff: vinegar and water. When all else fails, try to think about what your grandparents used for cooking and cleaning. They went through the Great Depression and couldn't afford the chemical stuff found in stores.
-Find your local organic farmers! Especially if you have an extra freezer. You can place an order for half of an organic cow and eat on that through the whole year. Same thing with chickens, eggs, milk and fruits and veggies (although I'd avoid milk altogether unless it's raw and even then, I'd try to find goat milk. Their protein is more like the human form and doesn't cause as many allergens.)
-Use coupons. Even natural markets have weekly ad specials; you just have to find them.
-Buy online. This one was new to me but Mike found most of the products we use for half of the cost when you buy directly from the wholesaler. A really great site is www.luckyvitamins.com.

Good luck and don't skimp on the good stuff!