What's On My Happy List?

Kyleigh mission week 17

I left my journal at home with all my notes to write my generic email so I don't have my weekly email to send off today...sorry! Life is good! I hope you all are doing well! 
Sending my love! xoxoxo

Here's a few tid bits from the voice recording Kyleigh sent us this week... 
We've had a good week even though both my companion and I have been kinda sick with colds. First time being sick here on the mission, but hey that is okay. We dropped one investigator. That was kinda hard, but ended up gaining four new investigators. My Korean is coming along a bit. I'm starting to understand a little more. It's still hard, and I still can't express everything I want to, but little by little it will come. We had Stake Conference this weekend. We got together Saturday night for the adult session. It's fun to see all the other missionaries and meet people. 

Fun fact: The missionaries in Korea are generally older. The boys are required to serve in the military for at least two years. Some choose to do their military service before their missions. The boys also have to have their school degree before they can get married....so most don't get married until their late 20's. Most of the Korean sister missionaries are 23 or older. My companion, who is 25, is the oldest sister serving right now. She graduated from school first before coming on her mission.  

We visited this family from the ward. They have a farm. 

I thought this was hilarious.. so I took a pic. 

It is one of the fast food chain restaurants here in Korea :) 

Thank you, I will enjoy my food! bahahaha. 

In other family news!!!!
Laboring on labor day...crushing cans for Poppi and Uncle Braden and reorganizing our canned food storage rack...

I had a birthday! 
They keep creeping up on me ;) 

I've pretty much celebrated all week with great food. 

The hubs and I tried a Mexican restaurant called Taqueria 27...
I had a taco with pear, beets, spinach, blue cheese and balsamic! 
It was devine!
 

We hunted down the Art City donut truck in Olympus Cove for my birthday dessert.
No place I'd rather be on my birthday than Back to School Night at the elementary.....Ha!

I've always tried to write a little note for my kids to find in their desk the next day...

Look what I found in Brie's desk that night.....Made my day! ;) misspelling and all.

trying out my new birthday blender for smoothies...

 

I had a fun week going to lunch with girlfriends!

 Corner Bakery with my best friend!

My girlfriends, since childhood...spoiled me at my favorite sushi restaurant...Cafe Seoul

Melty Way sandwich with an awesome neighbor friend...

Roots Cafe with some of my favorite ladies...

It's the quaintest little place..

I had the best Reuben on marble rye there. 
The kale chips were not my fav, surprisingly bitter, but fun to try. 

Lots of good eats this week. 
Food definitely is a passion of mine. no doubt. I just love it. 
One of mine and my hubbies favorite things to do together is try new restaurants and different foods. 
When it comes to food... I don't think there is anything that I don't like. I'd eat anything. 
However, there are some foods that do not like me. That has become very evident as I have gotten older. 

Since I'm on this lovely topic of food, I thought I would share some of my "food issues" in hopes that it might help someone else ...About 7 years ago my eye started wigg'in out on me in varying degrees of puffiness...it was freaky!

We couldn't figure out what was causing it. Doctor even ordered an MRI....wondering if it was a tumor? Come to find out, after I went to an allergist, is I've got some major allergies that I was unaware of. 4+  to many trees, grasses, weeds. I'll never forget when the doctor came in after testing me, took one look at my back and said, " are you okay?" Because apparently my back was a hot mess of welts. Because my pollen allergy is so high I have a condition called pollen-food allergy syndrome. Basically my immune system reacts to the proteins in certain fruits, vegetables, and nuts mistaking it for pollen... which releases histamine... which causes the swelling and redness in my right eye. This is not a common symptom of a food allergy. Most have itching and irritation in the mouth and throat. Which I have very little of. Two of the pollens I seem to have the most issues with are ragweed and birch. 

The list of foods that are related to the ragweed pollen that potentially could give me some issues: 

cantaloupe
honeydew
watermelon
zucchini
cucumber
banana

Foods associated with the birch pollen:

apple
peach
plum
pear
cherry
apricot
almond
carrot
celery
parsley
caraway
fennel
coriander
aniseed
soybean
peanut
hazelnut

If I didn't take allergy med every day, sometimes twice a day...I'd have WAY MORE issues than I do...Some of these foods listed I can eat and have no problem with... Other foods like soy, cucumber, sweet potato, hazelnut, honeydew, chai seed... I try to steer clear of because I know after all these years that they are triggers.  My allergies are not so severe that I'd go into anaphylaxis shock or anything...thank goodness...just runny nose, head-achey, red glassy eye or if the food really doesn't agree with me...my eyelid swelling. That's when it gets super frustrating. Sometimes my eye will flare and I can't pin point for sure which food I've eaten that's causing it...that's equally as frustrating. 

Another food I found out I was allergic to years ago was wheat. Who knew? But I ignored it for years. After too many eye flare ups last fall I finally realized I needed to listen to my body and get a better handle on my food allergies. So this year I've really tried to limit my wheat and soy intake. Those two are buggers. Wheat and soy seem to be in everything! I've become a label nazi because of it. With limiting those two foods, along with lessening my diary and sugar intake... I've seen a huge difference. I've incorporated some gluten free foods into my diet. I don't have a gluten problem per say, but things that are gluten free are wheat free. :) So that's a win win for me. {Wheat apparently is not all that good for you anyway whether you are allergic to it or not, as it inflames your insides.} I've had to eliminate, lessen, or be leery of a lot of foods that I used to love, but I know I'll just feel better if I don't eat them. If I do indulge, I just have to be prepared to not feel so hot and treat the symptoms. I really should just get allergy shots, but I see what my daughter deals with going through hers, and will for several more years still, and I don't wanna go through that. 

Maybe in another post I'll share some of things I can eat and that are staples for me these days. Anything to help out those who may come across this info and have an intolerance to wheat and soy and have crazy pollen allergies like myself.  Cuz it ain't fun!
But for now, enough of my food woes....  

I have more exciting things to talk about...

Saturday was my favorite day of the week....

When it's time to rally the troops on a Saturday morn to pick the acorns up in the front yard you know fall is in the air. 

{There just so happens to be a dang squirrel in the neighborhood, but he ain't doing his job well enough} 

 hanging the flag for BYU's season opener! 
I can't believe it's football season again...*squeal*

Our Win over Nebraska that afternoon!
Best game ever!

I flew the freak flag on Mangum's Miracle Moment. I will never forget it. Nor will Hannah. She was watching with me and so wishes she had me on video during that last play. I would have made the fan reaction highlight reel. The screaming, the awe, the jumping up and down, Oh my!....I seriously peed my pants. The hubs was so excited he hit the ceiling fan in his jubilation and broke it. haha. I'm telling you...I don't think I've ever been so thrilled in my life.


  Marry my daughter please...haha 

Our football celebration food!!! :) 

Hannah and I went down to the Provo airport later that night to greet them boys home.
SO DANG FUN!!

This captures exactly how I was feeling. 
I'm telling ya I would have fit right in in that post game locker room! :)
If you are brave you can hit the un mute button in the bottom right hand corner.  
It's the best!!!