My Black Thumb. And Some Good News.

Throughout our quest to get Caleb's body healthy, I have developed a deeper love for healthy, unprocessed, raw fruits and vegetables.  God really is a great cook.  :)  However, I have decided He probably doesn't want my help too much.  Let me explain...

One day, Caleb was at work and this elderly lady mentioned she had some tomatoes she was growing.  The next thing you know, Caleb had four tomato starters for me to begin the garden of my dreams.  I had great aspirations going into this Spring, of me growing our fruits and veggies.  After all, I have been on a quest to add as many fruits and vegetables into our diet as possible.  It would be fun for me, relaxing, and save money! Brilliant idea....or so I thought. 

Here is a picture of the tomatoes the day they were brought home.  How sweet and thoughtful of my amazing husband....



And then, there is this.  It is a picture of the same tomatoes, taken this morning...



I killed the tomatoes!!!  :(  I watered them, I put them in the direct sunlight (when it was actually sunny).  I thought I did what I was supposed to.  Apparently not.  They never grew bigger.  One grew two extra leaves, and then stopped.  Simultaneously, the other three lost leaves.  And then, they went black.

Now, Caleb thinks he will be able to bring them to life again.  I am not holding my breath.  If he does, well, then that will make for a different blog.  At this point, I am saying "goodbye" to the idea of being a gardener....for this year at least.  :)

This has not deterred me from consuming our healthy produce, however! :)  I have continued to make Caleb a huge salad, about five times a week.  And we make smoothies with spinach, frozen berries, and a itty bit of raw honey, also about five times a week.  Here are some of our meals/snacks we have had...

Salmon with a hearty, protein-filled, salad

Ahi tuna steaks, with salad and corn on the cob

Spinach, pineapple, strawberry, mango smoothie

Then, a few times a week, I throw in a meal that is "heartier" and less healthy...

Blue corn tortillas, chicken, and dairy-free cheese...yummmm!

And so now for the exciting news....it is working!  Caleb is getting healthier...and as of June 15th, he has been off of the cancer drug! YAY!!!!

We are still super dependent on God to continue to heal him, and are praying that he doesn't flare-up again, now that he is off of all meds.  Please pray with us!  We appreciate more than we could ever express!

All to say, it feels sooooo good not to have the constant stress lingering over us, wondering if Caleb will be able to walk again tomorrow.  Or the fear of just knowing that in the morning a totally different joint could flare, and he would lose function of it for months.  Awww...my heart and mind are at peace.  And Caleb's spirits are high.  When he started back at the gym, he began with only 10 lbs.  (Where last year he left off at 100...)  After adding only 5 lbs a week, he is now using 50 lbs...halfway home! :)  Even a month ago, he had to be careful how he pivoted on his knee to get in his truck, knowing even that little movement could cause a flare-up. What an improvement!

All to say, we will keep on keeping on...doing the same thing we have been doing, just without the Methotrexate! :)  We will continue to pray, I will continue to prepare healthy foods (farmer's market's here I come!), and we plan to just enjoy our summer.  We feel like we are actually able to be newlyweds again! :) 

We never forget to thank God for our health, every single night, as we pray together.  He has truly been good to us.