Days of Giving Thanks...Days 19-25

Day # 19...Today I'm thankful I'm still in remission!

Day # 20...Today I'm thankful for the outage of our cable, Internet and phone...silence is golden!

Day # 21...Today I'm thankful for my miracle, Jacob!

Day # 22...I'm thankful for time spent with family I rarely see.

Day # 23...I'm thankful that its time to decorate for Christmas.

Day # 24...Today I'm thankful for Aunts and Uncles, Cousins, Brothers, Sisters, Moms and Dads, Children, Friends and my fur babies...My life is great and I sincerely love the people in it!

Day # 25...Today I'm thankful for the Youversion Bible App, for scripture and the ability to see well enough to read!

Hope y'all had a great time visiting with family and loved ones. Have a fantastic week.
  

Godspeed...this comes from the Middle English expression "God spede (you)", a wish for success and fortune for one setting out on an enterprise, voyage, adventure, or travels. It may also mean good luck. 

"Limitations only exist if you let them" 

© 2012 Shannon M. King. This publication is the exclusive property of Shannon M. King and is protected under the US Copyright Act of 1976 and all other applicable international, federal, state and local laws. The contents of this post/story may not be reproduced as a whole or in part, by any means whatsoever, without consent of the author, Shannon M. King. All rights reserved.

Happy Thanksgiving 2012

May your day be one of blessing and joy! Happy Thanksgiving my friends!
 

Godspeed...this comes from the Middle English expression "God spede (you)", a wish for success and fortune for one setting out on an enterprise, voyage, adventure, or travels. It may also mean good luck. "Limitations only exist if you let them" © 2012 Shannon M. King. This publication is the exclusive property of Shannon M. King and is protected under the US Copyright Act of 1976 and all other applicable international, federal, state and local laws. The contents of this post/story may not be reproduced as a whole or in part, by any means whatsoever, without consent of the author, Shannon M. King. All rights reserved.

Days of Giving Thanks...Days 12-18

Day # 12... Today I'm thankful for classic movies like...M is For Murder...and White Christmas...these are some of my favorite things...la la lala la la....Nothing better than being sick in bed and watching old classic movies! Now if only I could have some soup and not have to go to the hospital for injection today, lol! Luckily it'll be quick and I can get right back into my warm bed and rest!

Day #13...Today I am thankful for the internet...it is a highway of information...some of it is actually useful and helpful for those of us going through special medical testing.

Day #14...Today I'm thankful for the Liquid radiation i received this morning, as it will be helpful in seeing any thyroid or cancer cells during my whole body scans Thursday and Friday...

Day # 15...Today I am thankful for missionaries who go out into the world and reach people for God, feed them and love them.

Day # 16...Today I'm thankful for The Dove TV and Radio Christian programming...

Day # 17...Today I'm thankful for God's unfailing mercy and grace...

Day # 18...Today I'm thankful for the wind and rain! Natures leaf blower and shower! The wind comes in and moves the leaves and debris around and then the rain gives it all a nice shower and some much needed water!

I have been super sick with a chest cold and not been able to exercise at all for the whole week...ugh! Thankfully the doctor's office called and I'm still in remission.  Blessings and hugs to you all...May you have a Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving.      

Godspeed...this comes from the Middle English expression "God spede (you)", a wish for success and fortune for one setting out on an enterprise, voyage, adventure, or travels. It may also mean good luck. "Limitations only exist if you let them" © 2012 Shannon M. King. This publication is the exclusive property of Shannon M. King and is protected under the US Copyright Act of 1976 and all other applicable international, federal, state and local laws. The contents of this post/story may not be reproduced as a whole or in part, by any means whatsoever, without consent of the author, Shannon M. King. All rights reserved.

Days of Giving Thanks November 5-11 2012

Day # 5...Today I choose to be thankful for the honor of being a MOM...it's a hard and often thankless job, with little monetary value (to some) and there are many days I'd like to pull my hair out, mornings I'd like to get a do-over...but through all the spit-up, dirty diapers, temper-tantrums, teen angst, and general moodiness that all kids display...I absolutely love being a mom and wouldn't trade it in for anything.

Day #6...Today I am thankful for my son, Jesse's safe trip home from Bend, Oregon OLI 2012 FBLA Event! He made it safely home last night tired and starving after not having eaten in 8 hours...he is home sick today but will be fine as I am sure it just from being in a hotel room with 20 others guys for the last 3 days and then on a bus for several hours with 2 other sick kids!

(Me and my son Jesse 4/2012 post 5k)

Day # 7...Today I am thankful for life...it may not always be fun, or fantastic...I may be going through health issues... It is what I allow God to make of it, when I put my faith and trust in God it always works out His way! I am alive today, I choose to be thankful for each day I am given, I am thankful for today! 

Day #8...Today I am thankful for a simple pleasure, COFFEE, in all its glory...I look forward to it every morning with excitement and with anticipation every night at bedtime! I am thankful for this very simple pleasure.  Sometimes I think it's important to remember, it can be a little thing that brings us to thankfulness...it doesn't have to be deep or personal.

Day # 9...Today I am thankful for medical technology and testing...even when it is time consuming and often painful/annoying...it is what helps to diagnose and treat my illnesses...so thankful! I do know that I have what they call pvc's that are very frequent but generally not life threatening as long as they are not due to another disease within the heart.  We are not sure what, if anything, we will do about it!

Day # 10...Today I'm thankful for the sounds of morning in our house! Brewing coffee...Children yawning, quiet conversations...cuddles with the furry members of our family! Life is good!

Day # 11...Today I'm thankful for the people in my life who truly care about and for me, especially when I'm sick! I have been sick all week on top of all the medical tests I am going through so it's been a rough week all around. I am alive...it's all relative. I will survive and move forward.

Godspeed...this comes from the Middle English expression "God spede (you)", a wish for success and fortune for one setting out on an enterprise, voyage, adventure, or travels. It may also mean good luck. 

"Limitations only exist if you let them" 

© 2012 Shannon M. King. This publication is the exclusive property of Shannon M. King and is protected under the US Copyright Act of 1976 and all other applicable international, federal, state and local laws. The contents of this post/story may not be reproduced as a whole or in part, by any means whatsoever, without consent of the author, Shannon M. King. All rights reserved.

Days of Giving Thanks November 1-4, 2012

Each week I will be sharing with you all that I am thankful for.  This week's installment will be November 1st through November 4th.

I have been so blessed with so much and feel it's great to take time to remember those blessings (*I borrowed this idea from my beautiful cousin who has her own lovely blog*)...and then share them with others.  When you are being thankful it's hard to feel sorry for yourself and not only that, but it serves as a reminder of just how many blessings one truly has! I even created a Facebook EVENT.

I wonder if we bloggers can get a "Count your many blessings" movement going for the month of November...Anyone interested in doing this with your fellow bloggers, just to show how very blessed we all are?  Spread the word, let's see how far this can go! Link back to me if you would like.

Thursday November 1, 2012
#1...Today I'm thankful for the beauty of fall! I was blessed this morning on my run with all the colors of Autumn! Gods beauty awes me!

Friday November 2, 2012
#2...Today I am thankful for a God who loved me enough to die on an old wooden cross...who loves me in spite of my many failures and shortcomings....who loves me enough to forgive and forget my sins when I repent, what a loving Heavenly Father I have! 

Saturday November 3, 21012
#3...I am thankful to live in a country where we are able to vote in a new President...freely say what we want, or believe in whom we believe...where it is still okay to go to Church and pray to God...God bless AMERICA!!! 

Sunday November 4th, 2012
#4...Today I am thankful for my legs that carried me safely on my run yesterday...I am thankful I have legs that are healthy and strong and I Praise God for His healing...My thanks isn't one of sarcasm it is a sincere and heartfelt thanks! Thank you Heavenly Father for bringing me through my injury to a healthy and strong resolution...

Y'all may have noticed that I haven't used the obvious "I'm thankful for..." that is simply because I am always thankful for my husband who has unwaveringly stood by me through thick (literally) and thin, sickness (literally) and health, richer and poorer...and God willing til death do us part.  

I am also continually thankful for my 4 loving children, who are each amazing, smart, and accomplished in their own way, both of my parents and each and every one of my friends who choose to share in my crazy life...that includes each of YOU! I am blessed (undeservedly) beyond belief and it humbles me when I think on the enormity of it all. 

For the month of November I am choosing to state what I am thankful on each particular day, it is as simple as that!  Feel free to follow and participate, I would love to read what you have to be thankful for, as I am sure it will be diverse, humbling, and amazing.  



Godspeed...this comes from the Middle English expression "God spede (you)", a wish for success and fortune for one setting out on an enterprise, voyage, adventure, or travels. It may also mean good luck. 

 "Limitations only exist if you let them" 

© 2012 Shannon M. King. This publication is the exclusive property of Shannon M. King and is protected under the US Copyright Act of 1976 and all other applicable international, federal, state and local laws. The contents of this post/story may not be reproduced as a whole or in part, by any means whatsoever, without consent of the author, Shannon M. King. All rights reserved.

10 Day Low-Iodine Diet, Sheesh!

For the next 10 days I will be on a very low-iodine diet, and today I went shopping for all the ingredients and foods I will be needing. It  all looks something like this...

 
The food choices are limited due to the fact that most packaged food contains some sodium and you cannot tell whether that has iodine in it or not without calling all the different manufacturers to find out.  So I will be limited in what I eat but it's not all bad, I can have marshmallows...woohoo! Can you tell I'm less than thrilled about my food choices?

The reason I have to watch my iodine intake is because the thyroid is very sensitive to it and the only tissue in the body that takes it up! 

 "The thyroid gland and iodine is essential for proper function of the thyroid gland, which uses it to make the thyroid hormones. The thyroid is equipped with an active system or “pump” for moving iodine into its cells, where it is concentrated as iodide. The thyroid gland is the only tissue in the body that takes up and holds onto iodine." (thyroid.org)

(I have no thyroid due to my thyroid cancer, but I do take a thyroid medication every single day!) If I didn't take the medication my quality of life would be nil and life expectancy would be low.  You must have a healthy thyroid or take a synthetic thyroid medication in order to live and function properly.

"The thyroid gland uses iodine from our water and food intake to produce essential hormones that regulate our metabolism. Thyroid cells are unique because they are the only cells in the body that absorb iodine. Before undergoing RAI scans and treatment, patients go on a low-iodine diet, starving the body of iodine. When a patient is given radioactive iodine (usually in capsule form), the iodine starved thyroid cells uptake the RAI, allowing the cells to be detected for scans or to be destroyed for treatment (ablation)."  (About.com cancer)

Every time I have to do this diet I make home made granola bars, and this year I am making home made Amish White Bread with no eggs and no milk. One loaf will be rolled out and a cinnamon/sugar substitute mixture added then rolled up and placed into pan...and the other loaf will be just plain white bread.  Oh my dough is ready, be right back!

(dough's ready)

(cinnamon sugar bread)

(two happy loaves)

Now to wait for another 30 minutes while they rise and then into the oven to bake. Unfortunately I cannot have butter due to the milk content...boohoo, bread without butter, not as good, but will do in a pinch! Here is the recipe for anyone who would like it! 

2 cups warm (110 degrees) water
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast (I used breadmachine yeast)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt (I used non-iodized)
1/4 cup oil
6 c. flour

Dissolve sugar in warm water, add yeast.  Proof for 10 minutes.  Mix in oil and salt. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough and put in a well oiled bowl, cover with towel or plastic wrap and allow to double in size (about an hour). Punch down dough (fun) cut into two pieces.  Form into loaves (I rolled them out and then rolled them up like a cinnamon roll) and let rise for about 30 minutes or until about an inch above bread pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes and enjoy! 

(ready to bake)

I can't wait to taste this lovely looking bread.  Be back after they bake and I do a taste test...yum!

(OMGoodness...these smell so delish)

(this will be my cinnamon toast, yum)

Okay, this bread not only smells great but the taste is out of this world...simple! Don't you wish you had smell-o-vision? Chalk this bread recipe up to a success.

So far so good today...do you know how hard it is to find non-dairy creamer with no casseinates (a milk derivative) in it?  Impossible! Although it does not contain iodine..so I can use it! Hooray, thank you Google!

I hope y'all are doing well! Anyone run a race lately? Let me know how it went!  I really do want to hear all about it! I have to live vicariously through you peeps until I can get back up to running races.  

Although I am back to running, I have to build my mileage up slowly, as taking six months off has seriously reduced my cardio...lol! I am doing walk/run intervals (C25K like) usually 5 walking, 5-10 running depending on how I am breathing...ha ha ha! Who knew that taking 6 months off would make such a difference? Probably everyone but me!  Alrighty, I gotta go for now.  Blessings and hugs to everyone!

Godspeed...this comes from the Middle English expression "God spede (you)", a wish for success and fortune for one setting out on an enterprise, voyage, adventure, or travels. It may also mean good luck. 

"Limitations only exist if you let them" 

© 2012 Shannon M. King. This publication is the exclusive property of Shannon M. King and is protected under the US Copyright Act of 1976 and all other applicable international, federal, state and local laws. The contents of this post/story may not be reproduced as a whole or in part, by any means whatsoever, without consent of the author, Shannon M. King. All rights reserved.