In other news....

Aside from planting my flowers and sprucing up my backyard...(constant work in progress when there are 4 boys, my 3 + my grandson and three dogs, always in the yard playing...here's what's new:

1. baby shower for an in-law yesterday. Yes...I like her...however, I do not like some of the people in the family who are very quick to be a-holes...you would think after 18 years they'd have gotten over trying to run me out...but I guess they aren't fast learners :o)

2. Gaven went on his Springfield field trip and was totally engrossed and amazed at some of the things he saw & learned...here's hoping this makes him a little more interested in LEARNING in general!

3. Had the meeting for Cody at the school, due to the grade 2 brain bleed he had at birth, his diagnosis of a processing delay due to this brain bleed and his social feelings of awkwardness the school has put into place some "helps" for him for his transition this fall into Jr. High. He will have an assisted study hall, either at the beginning of the day or the end of the day, either way it will allow him to get help with any homework he has. :) The social worker will also be checking in with him often to make sure he is adjusting properly. I am very happy with the elementary school, especially the principal who has always had Cody's best interest at heart.

4. I had my first bike commute to work the other day! Oh my gosh - it felt so great to be back on the bike. 17.3 miles - 18.0 miles depending on which route I take...I took the one that was pretty close to 18 miles. It was amazing, even if still a bit on the chilly side. I rode the Trek since the Wingra is still in the bike shop...the repairs were kind of steep and my finances have been in a valley with all the medical stuff happening with the kids and Bob. But, I hope to have it out of there soon and back on the road for this beautiful commute. There is 1 pretty long hill on the route that I took that really kicked my butt, I hope by the end of summer it doesn't feel like a problem for me.

5. Having picked up the habit of smoking during Bob's cancer diagnosis and treatment was stupid, especially since I had not smoked in 5 years...however, it was stressful and we all do stupid things once in a while. I have again kicked the habit...and am pretty damn happy about that development...as are my kids who keep asking me how many days it's been and high fiving me! :)

6. My hair is black now in case anyone didn't see my pics.

7. Read This is Gonna Hurt - it was a great book, the pictures and the writing are very thought provoking and make one seriously consider and perhaps reconsider their thoughts on beauty and the beauty of those surrounding them...as well as looking into themselves to see what they should be changing...or at least that is the impact it had on me.

8. I have recently picked up my very old Minolta camera and been out taking photos...alot...the cost of printing the film may put a hamper on this. I hope to get (perhaps for my birthday or christmas...hint to my family) a nice and new canon or nikon digital camera with lenses. :o)

9. I treated myself for mother's day ...and bought a 4 pack of tickets to see Motley Crue ! I'm STOKED! I saw them last year and I have to say Vince was disappointing...I know that's probably a crummy thing to say considering the guy is expected to sing every day during a tour and his voice probably hurts and it's likely he was having one of those days when I did see him...but I was pissed...like C'mon pretty boy...Sing to me...I didn't come to watch you put the microphone over the jerks in the first row who payed big bucks to come see you...I'm in these damn lawn seats...getting kicked every time some jackass walks past me stumbling around from a day of excessive drinking and what I really want is for you to make it all better with that sweet little voice of yours...Okay...off my high horse now...Vince has always rubbed me a little wrong, while on the other hand I think Nikki Sixx is AMAZING. :o)

10. It's Mother's day...to all the mother's out there - please have a beautiful, blessed, enjoyable day. Here the sun is shining, my family is still sleeping and my coffee is fresh...taco's at my mother in law's later will be a fun time!

Happy Riding my friends...

Spring has sprung...

I always feel like spring has come when my flowers are planted...below ...my flowers...this was how I spent yesterday evening! 

                                     ^a little arrangement of flower pots that I had lying around.

                                       ^ a built in flower bed on my patio...I think it's cool.

                                           ^ our fire pit from several years ago...I painted the metal red, took a few cinder blocks to help hold up the metal as it had some weak spots from using it as a fire pit, I took an old newspaper bag that Cassy had used while delivering papers which has been sitting in the shed forever and laid it down inside the firepit as a cover up for the holes and to keep the dirt in:) Then planted...Hurray for recycle and reuse!

                                         ^ Shephard's hooks & hanging plants :)

                                           ^ a single plant and an old bucket that was lying in the shed both filled with flowers.

                                          ^ This wicker basket I found lying in the trash one day when I was taking a walk. Picked it up, lined it with an old t-shirt that was set for either using as a rag or tossing...filled it with dirt and voila ...we have a pretty little flower basket.

A Friday Off....

I was off yesterday due to being weekend manager. Today and tomorrow I will be at work from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (boo!)

However, yesterday was productive in some ways and not in others.

We had a meeting at the school for Cody which went amazingly well. I'm happy to say that they listened to our concerns for his transfer to 6th grade, addressed them, discussed options with me and I think we all walked away feeling positive. I thought I should post that since I'm the first person to complain about the school...I should also be the first person to throw out the praise when they do it right.

After that I had to go to the beauty school to be my daughter, Cassy's, makeover model. I had told her I wanted to go from my natural Auburn hair to Blonde...she said no because she didn't think the bleach at the school would work well on my hair...so I decided to go in the opposite direction...BLACK!


I love it...even if everyone else is shocked and even a little appalled! I may even stay like this for a while!

Gotta scram....coffee is finished and I need some before I head to work for a very long day!

A whole lot of pain...

In the past week I have been in and out of the hospital and my doctor's office. Last Friday I got home at the end of the evening and my Left leg was swollen twice as big as my right.
Went to the hospital (it was burning as well)...they said cellulites after doing an ultrasound to rule out the blood clot. Told me to follow up with my doctor on Monday.
Monday - at the doctor's office - he says it's not cellulites...it's swollen because I shave (apparently he has a thing against women shaving...) he also told me to lose weight because being 20 lbs overweight is probably causing my joints on the left side to ache....
Tuesday - I call because while sitting at work in tears and shaking because I'm in so much pain our Director of Nursing and Restorative nurse looked at my leg (still swollen) and seeing how much pain I was in said for me to call back to my doctor and explain the pain to the nurse...I do...she says - "do you want pain pills?" I replied that I simply wanted to know what was happening and why and that I wouldn't mind some relief from the pain. So, she told me to come back in to the office & Doc would see me...I go...he tells me that I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia (I've NEVER been diagnosed with either, nor tested for either). Then he went on to say that I'm probably depressed which would cause pain as well...WHAT? So, he wrote me a script for an antidepressant and sent me on my way...the script is sitting in my wallet as I have not filled it!
Wednesday - Director of Nursing and Restorative Nurse are beside themselves with what I have been told by the doctor.
Wednesday night - I'm in excruciating pain and am literally rocking in bed in pain....
Thursday - go to work - in extreme pain and eating advil like crazy...not helping...can hardly move!
Friday - go to work - still in extreme pain and still eating otc pain meds like candy...not helping. The Director of Nursing and Restorative nurse tell me to go to the nearby hospital (different one than I went to last Friday).
Friday afternoon - leave work early and go to the hospital...I was in tears because I was in so much pain. The doctor seriously felt sorry for me and gave me some pretty good pain meds. He also referred me to a different doctor who takes my insurance and told me that I need a MRI of my leg...and I need to be checked and ruled out for MS as well as a few other things including R.A.
Today is the Easter Vigil at church for the class I teach at church...I am not going to be able to make it. I can't sit in one place and especially not on a hard bench for 3 hours, nor can I stand for more than a few minutes at a time, I am certainly not kneeling and I am loopy on these pain killers.

Hoping for answers soon!

Wow! It's been a long time

No Joke! Months have gone by! Sometimes time slips past and I just seem to have lost it...unfortunately there's no going back and getting it.

So...

Packers won the superbowl!

Still not on my bike and riding :(

Funds are low...don't want to talk about that.

Bob is cancer free :) Since July :) This is a big deal .

Gaven's voice is changing - sounds like it's going to be deep!

I'm exhausted...calling it a night - will try to update more often! I do apologize for my absence...

Football tidbits...

Gov. Ed Rendell had lots to say about the Sunday's Eagles/Viking's game being postponed by the NFL. I think I laughed out loud when my husband handed me his phone to show me the quote from Mr. Rendell.  I do believe that his comments were hysterical! 


As for this evenings game...I believe I will have to root for the Eagles...even though I dislike them...alot! Basically because them winning screws the Bears over a bit...Which we know I'm all about! 


This past Sunday the Packer's played very well, let's hope they play that well this coming Sunday against the Bears! I certainly hope so...we will be hosting our annual Packers/Bears game day party....and all these damn Bears fans in my house is going to be bad enough...but to have the Bears beat the Packers would be downright Shameful! 

Tis the Season...

Today the kids and I will be baking. Mainly, Chocolate chip & Peanut Butter cookies! YUMMY!  No Christmas tree up yet, and I don't intend to put it up until December 3rd.
Nor do I intend to decorate for Christmas this weekend.

However, I am preparing the Christmas Cards to go out this week, along with perhaps a few pictures and a little note for all of our friends and family.

I also need to prepare the newsletter for my class!

Bob has labwork on the 3rd of December, and I need to get another 6 chemo caps finished before them so that I can take up 2 dozen. I've been slacking...

Actually, slacking isn't exactly the right verbage...I've been extremely busy at work (yes, I still LOVE my new job), I finished crocheting a present for someone near and dear to my heart, I have been working on lesson's for my class, faithfully hitting the gym, running the children back and forth to all of their things and just frankly haven't had a lot of sit down and do what I want time.

However, this is why the title to today's post is accurate...it's the season for busyness. For running around (as my mother used to say) like a chicken with it's head cut off (if you've ever seen this phenomena it's actually rather DISTURBING)...the problem with this time of year is that so often we forget what the entire point of the season is...LOVE!

In it's most basic breakdown that is what this season is about...
The christmas story is about God's love for human kind...and we need to remember to show that type of love to our fellow man. (if you're belief systems aren't the same as mine, you know what I'm saying here...there's still a lesson in it and that lesson is Love)!

Spend time with your families & Your FRIENDS (because let's face it folks...sometimes our friends know us better than our own families). Let them know how much they mean...It's a season for relaxing, enjoying each other's company, Making traditions, playing games, decorating, being silly and happy!

Side note: Alcohol around this time of year helps, especially when dealing with family :o)~ Joking!!!!

Anyway, just a reminder to not forget to breathe in all this holiday madness and shopping extravaganza.

My vow this year is to:
 go sledding with the kids (making sure to bring inhalers for the ones with Asthma, as well as hot cocoa  to warm them up)!
Take time to sit down and play lots of Uno, yatzee and all the other games that they love to play and that I often tell them to deal me out because I'm so insanely busy!
Remember to water the Christmas tree so it doesn't wither  by the 20th of December!
Bake a lot and eat alot and not worry about the calorie count...
continue going to the gym during this season...that should help since I'm not going to worry about my calorie count! :o)~

This year we have so much to be thankful for....and to feel blessed about....(not that we haven't in the past but last year was a little shadowed to me)....

I have a husband  (Soul mate) who is again cancer free!
I have 4 beautiful children, who have given me so many wonderful moments!
I have an adorable and sweet grandson! Who is a part of my life each and every day! Both he and my children remind me each day of the wonder around us if we just slow down and look!
I have friends who stand by my side regardless of how I'm behaving, feeling or needing! They are true friends who even if we don't talk for long periods of time still care!
I have 3 fat and lazy dogs who try to eat me out of house and home but who will protect us all with no thoughts to their own safety!
I have a wonderful new job that I am so thankful I took a chance on and so thankful for the people who gave me the encouragement to be free spirited enough to make the leap!

the list goes on and on....but those are up there at the top.

Friends: have a safe and blessed holiday season! God Bless!