It's been a busy past couple months! In May, I ended the school year feeling accompished that I fairly successfully taught a full year of the new Math 1 (the old Algebra 1)! It was a challenge to teach a new curriculum, but more importantly, it was a challenge to teach less teacher directed and more student centered. Think back to when you were in high school; how did most of the teachers teach? Notes on the board, read this, do these problems, test on Friday...how boring is that!? It is my goal to make math more meaningful for my students. To make it a challenge, but also to make it relevant to their lives! It's not an easy task.
Anyway...Then I went on vacation to Orlando: Universal Studios and Disney World. We went on this trip with the Disney Dining Plan where all of our meals at Disney were paid up front and it included one counter service meal, one table service meal, and a snack every day, and a drink and dessert with every meal!! Needless to say, I ate A LOT! And let's be honest, the majority of it was unhealthy. As much as I knew I need to be eating healthy, I just did not want to limit myself on this vacation. I may be wrong in this thinking, but every now and then it is okay to splurge! While being back home from vacation the past week, I have done some serious thinking about my health.
If you know me well and/or have been reading this blog, you know I have a skin condition called dermatographism (chronic hives aggrivated by touch). When I was on my sugar free, dairy free, gluten free diet earlier this year I definitely saw some progress, but got frustrated too quickly to see real results. I have done some more research and with the help of some friends, have decided to really give this diet another try for a much longer period of time. Therefore starting July 5, this blog will be on a three month long journey through my attempt to heal my body of this awful condition. The basis of the diet will be founded in the candida diet which rids the body of bacteria and yeast; I feel it best fits my needs at this time. Unfortunately I will have to be off ALL sugars for the majority of the time. I am hoping to reintroduce good fruits once my body has a chance to rebalance from all the horrible refined sugars I have thrust upon it over the years.
There is a significance to the date July 5. I first decided on this date for a different reason. I eagerly wanted to jump into this diet right after I got back from Disney knowing I needed to cleanse myself from all the hamburgers, fries, and desserts I had eaten. However, I am going on a education conference June 30 - July 3, and knowing how busy I will be in a different city I can not guarantee it will be that easy to stay committed while there. July 4 sounds like a good day to make my last day of "not so good for you foods" with it being a day of picnics and fireworks. So the 5th was the soonest I felt comfortable choosing. But the 5th of July is a very important day in my life...
On July 5, 2006, one of very best friends, Jordin Faith Schmidt, died in a car accident. We hadn't been friends for long, but it seemed like we had been friends for an eternity. We met the first day of college in Speech class. What's funny is at that point in my life I was terrified to speak in public, and I was going to be a teacher (what was I thinking!?). But then up pops Jordin bubbly as can be with her pink messenger bag, asking me if this was the room for speech class. She made that class and many others we took together fun. She also knew just how to make my horribly bad day better (7-11 slurpees, reese's cups, and late night drives to anywhere but here). July 5 that year stung like no day every has. I couldn't understand why she was allowed to be taken away, and I am not sure I ever fully will. But Jordin taught me to live every day to the fullest, even before her death, and that I am more than a conquerer through Christ. That is why I think it is fitting that I conquer this health issue once and for all starting on July 5. This year marks seven years since I last saw her. Seven is the number for completion. I can't even begin to explain in words everything I am feeling right now. But I am thankful for Jordin and all that she gave to me.
This seems like a good place to end this entry. Look for more to come after July 5th.
<3
