First summary from Orlando... :)

Why hello friends!

Yes, we are still alive and kickin'!  Actually, quite enjoying our time here in Florida.  A couple of reasons we've been MIA here on our blog for the past few months...#1) our jobs at the Maximized Living clinic are going wonderfully!  While our training is keeping us extremely busy physically, we wouldn't change this life for any other!  Every day we are given the opportunity to help so many people and save their lives.  It is so much more than we could have ever imagined -- can't wait to do this in our own clinic soon!!  Ready to transform lives in Greensboro!! :)

We spend about 20-30 hours each week in the clinic taking care of patients and helping in the office.  Dave and I also go out into the community to volunteer our time for about 20 hours each week, more or less depending on what events we have arranged.  We host a lot of health makeover/nutrition/toxicity/exercise workshops all around Orlando.  Various organizations invite us out (YMCAs, churches, grocery stores, schools, etc) and Dave leads the workshops of their choice.  It's a lot of fun meeting so many great people, and it's a fabulous experience helping each one of them transform their health!  I'll admit my favorite part about doing community events are the ones that have us outside for a few hours on the weekends -- like community festivals or fairs.  Temperatures here in Florida are basically perfect right now, 70's/80's and low humidity!  It's like the U.P. in July, haha!  There are some times that we walk outside and forget it's February/March..

Any time we have left outside the office and community events is spent training on protocols (mostly Dr. Dave's work) and Healing Cuisine (mostly my work).  And for fun, we've still got $1 RedBox DVD rentals and board games (cheap fun, right? haha).

So, on to reason #2 of our preoccupied-ness... The first morning here in Orlando, January 3rd, also our first day of work, we found out we are pregnant!! :)  A great start to our day, an early morning pregnancy test, hehe!  So this reason #2 is probably the more prominent reason why I haven't been so diligent about updating our family blog.  On top of our daily requirements with the clinic, I've also been battling nausea and the extreme need for naps.  I am very happy to say that I am officially into trimester 2, PTL (that's Praise The Lord), so food is going down more easily and my appetite is finally picking up.  Also, baby bump is starting to show!  Pictures to come...  Dave and I are SO EXCITED!!!  We have been waiting 2+ years for baby Schwartz, and finally the time has come.  I'm planning to write a more detailed testimonial of my health on Healing Cuisine about my fertility and health issues over the past few years.  I've not talked to many about this, just close family and a few friends, but I am finally ready to share my story and hope other women will find it as inspiration to seek help outside of drugs and surgery to conceive naturally.  More to come on that, I'll link back the post here when I get it up!

We are planning, as we're calling it, a 100% organic and natural birth!  We had our first appointment with our midwife last week and covered all the basics with her.  Baby is healthy and growing right on schedule.  I have all the normal "symptoms" of pregnancy.. we're healthy and happy.  Still quite a few things to plan out in the coming months to be ready for the birth, but we'll get there!  The biggest question at the moment is where will we live.  We will be doing a home birth, and right now we are living in a small house with 5 other people...the landlady and her daughter who live here speak only Spanish.  Nothing really works in our favor here.  So, trying to figure out if we want to birth baby in Orlando or somewhere else (like North Carolina or in Michigan).  Most likely we'll find a happy home here in Orlando, but who knows what the next few months will bring.  No matter what, we are just putting our complete trust in God!  He's given us our first baby as a complete surprise much sooner than we could have hoped, and we are trusting He knows the best path for us! :)!!

Also, if anyone has questions about natural birthing, why we are doing a home birth, or any questions relating to baby at all, please don't hesitate to email or call.  We look forward to it!  We are, as always, an open door!

At this time, I must give props to Dave who has been taking outstanding care of me for the past two months!!  I've got to admit, food prep and cooking makes me sick to my stomach.  I've had to literally run from the kitchen every time I attempt to make us a meal.  So, Dave has been THE BEST HUSBAND doing all the cooking and meal packing since January!!  Recipes you've seen on my blog, yup, Dave prepared those!!  I don't know what I would do without him!  He's so willing to try, such a blessing! :)  If he doesn't know how to do something, he'll run back into our bedroom and ask how much of this to put in, or what temperature to put the pan on..so sweet.  And let me say, he makes an omelet a thousand times better than me!!  If you ever stay at Hotel Schwartz, you will have to stay for breakfast and enjoy one of Dave's delicious omelets.  Cheese is my personal favorite, but his best is spinach and zucchini with feta!  Mmm, mmm, good!

I'm hoping to get some pictures of our Florida life up on here soon!  We have two palm trees in our front yard, which I think is incredibly cool!  There are also all these weird looking plants everywhere -- they remind us of Jurassic Park.  So, pictures to come next.  You have that to look forward to. ;)

If we haven't thanked you by phone or email yet, THANK YOU for all the cards and love since we moved here!!  Every card and drawing is hanging on our wall.  We have just a tiny room to ourselves, cluttered with our clothes, cooking utensils and pantry items.  The love on the wall really brightens our day, every day!  We appreciate it so so much!  Reminds us of all of you who have touched our lives and who we can never forget! :)  Many blessings to each one of you!