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Our Charis Family
Amanda Buffington
Amanda with her girls, Bria, 2 and Zia, 4
Hello Charis Family,
The beginning seems like a wonderful place to begin,
doesn't it? I was adopted by my impressively
cool parents when I was six weeks old. My
parents had a daughter named Tana. Tana was
born gorgeous and healthy. At the age of four she
woke up one morning and had a grand mal seizure in
my mother's lap. My mother was a nurse.
My mother the nurse and my father the carpenter
rushed Tana to the hospital. On the way Tana
had four more body bending grand mal seizures.
Over the course of several months the seizures
became more violent each one taking more and more of
her God given movement, personality and bodily
function. Every inch of our lives was
dissected. Our home's paint, water,
furnishings, dirt tested. My mother looked to
her colleagues for answers and none came. I
remember suctioning Tana's trache and the sound of
the ventilator clearly and normally. My
parents began a support group for parents all over
the United States who had children riddled with
major handicaps and terminal prognosis'. I
grew up surrounded by sick children and loved
them...dearly. Tana died with us at home after
a severe seizure that required the bodies of my
mother and father to be hoisted on top of her to
keep her from falling to the floor. She was
without speech, little of her own breath, cognitive
function for nearly six years before her final day.
My parents cared for her around the clock.
As a teenager my free time was spent as a volunteer
at an organization for impaired children. The
doctors on the board were all friends and caregivers
of my sister. As an adult I began social work
with the State of Texas removing and caring for
special needs children whom were being abused in all
facets by their caregivers. I then transferred
to the school system working with the same scope
children. By the age of twenty I had seen more
of life than the common kid my age. I found
relation hard and even harder was the ability to
detach from work.
As an adult I set out for answers to not just what
happened to Tana but every child I had ever taught
or cared for. (The only explanation we were ever
given was that a virus had attacked Tana's brain.)
The more I studied the more my passion and fervor
grew for the beginning stages of life and what I
believed to be the most crucial decisions made at
conception and beyond.
Through the births of my two girls: Zia, 4 and Bria,
2 I found my life's passion. I am grateful
that my Creator has never left me free of a dream to
be dreamt of what this world could become through
birth. I am thankful that He has infused me
with awareness to His call to be a vessel that aides
in the shaping of minds at the early stages of human
creation.
Every encounter in my life has led me to Charis.
Being blessed to have Kristin Schuchmann's sweet
patient voice at Bria's birth was not just a gift
for that moment. It continues here in my
education to become a doula and childbirth educator.
My husband, Chris, has always been in support of
every leap I choose to take. Without him I
wouldn't have the faith to proceed...he fills my
gaps of doubt with trust and support. My
passion for growing food and flowers infuses my
desire to teach anyone who will listen about the
awesome grace and gifts of God. I am rarely at
peace the way I am with dirt under my fingernails
and mud on my brow. I look forward to the day
I can share my flowers and food with mothers whom
have chosen me to support them.
We are currently in anticipation for our first real
winter. I am loving the flow of this earth and
experiencing true four seasons. I look forward to
getting to know you all!
Blessings, Amanda
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Charis
Cuisine
Vanilla Almond milk
by Kristin Schuchmann
Ingredients:
1 C raw almonds, soaked overnight, skins removed
2 C pure water
2 or 3 medjool dates (take out the pits)
1 vanilla bean, seeds scooped out (or 1 or 2 t pure vanilla
extract)
Pinch of sea salt
Directions:
After soaking and removing the skins from the almonds, place the
almonds and water in the blender and blend thoroughly.
Strain out the almond pulp with a nut bag, sprout bag, or
cheesecloth. You can save the pulp for making nut cheese or
no-bake cookies later.
Return strained milk to blender, add the remaining ingredients,
and blend thoroughly.
You will have a delicious, nutritious, frothy treat! My children
say it tastes like vanilla icecream.
View other healthy and tasty recipes
by the Schuchmann's:
http://happyhealthyliving.wordpress.com/
Health Benefits of Soaking Almonds
Almonds nutrition may not be common knowledge but almonds are
considered by nutritionists, to be the healthiest, most
nutritious nuts of all.
Eating almonds will provide you with a rich source of protein
containing fiber, omega-3 and 6 fatty acids, vitamin E,
magnesium, calcium, and zinc.
Almonds are also difficult to digest because of an enzyme
inhibiting substance in their brown coating. The enzyme
inhibitor is there to keep the almond more intact until it is
ready to sprout into a tree.
For humans, the inability of the nut to release its enzymes
interferes with the digestive process makes digestion more
difficult, and creating the loss of the almonds nutrition.
All almonds have the protective brown skin which contains the
harmful tannic acid and enzyme inhibitors. Soaking almonds
removes harmful tannic acid and enzyme inhibitors making the
nuts easy to digest and releasing their full nutritional value.
Soaking also makes the nut softer and easier to chew.
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