Wild Blue Yonder

moved

2011-02-19T10:35:00.002-05:00

moved my blog

http://www.neptunebutterfly.com/blog

but you don't look sick! (very long post)

2010-09-29T09:56:00.001-04:00

Since I've been asked countless times "what is wrong with me", I thought I'd write it all out. Not for sympathy, but simply to answer the question. Not for solutions, I'm tired of well-meaning people trying to offer me solutions when I don't even know what the problem is in the first place. I don't want a solution, I want to be able to say "I have _____" when asked what's wrong with me. Honestly, I don't know what is "wrong with me," I have no medical diagnosis. I have real symptoms that seem to be getting worse, but no doctor (so far) can give me an answer. So in order to answer the question, I'll just tell you about my symptoms. There are several, you've been warned. And no, I usually don't "look sick." Except maybe when I have the flu or other infection and am running a fever, but on a daily basis? I look normal. Although, what exactly does "sick" look like? It's more than just not being able to get up in the morning, it's more than just being tired.

I have IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) which, to me, is a doctor's way of saying "We don't exactly know why your intestines keep freaking out,". I've had it *officially* since 1996 (the first time I actually had heard of it) when that's what my doctor at the time told me I had. He gave me tagamet (which I'd already been taking ... when I was about 15 our family doctor told me that I had too much acid in my stomach which was causing my frequent stomach aches) and told me to stay away from fried foods. If you don't have IBS or don't know what it involves, I'll give you a brief description of what I deal with: when I first had it I only got "attacks" in the middle of the night. I would wake up with severe intestinal cramping. I'd sit on the pot for awhile and proceed to be attacked by the chills, then the sweats and then nausea. The pain was so bad I'd beg the good Lord to take me home to Heaven. Then I'd have diarrhea and the pain would go away and I'd be left with an empty feeling and a dull ache in my gut. And that was that. Usually only lasted about 20 minutes or so ... they progressed to lasting hours before I'd "go" and have relief. Now, I have attacks randomly, doesn't matter what I'm doing, what I've eaten. Mostly, I get them in the morning. Sometimes they are less severe, but I can't tell you how many times I really did pray for death because the pain was so unbearable. And it's paired in between with constipation. No doctor ever even thought to give me a referral to a GI or any medication to control it, I've been put on anti-depressants and acid reducers, so far, neither have worked. On top of the IBS I do have stomach pain and other abdominal pain and acid reflux. I had some symptoms of problems as a kid, had stomach aches and had "issues" with corn, but it got worse after I had my first child. I also have a lot of nausea, usually starting shortly after dinner and gets worse after I go to bed. Right now, I'm taking Levsin for my intestinal pain - it's not working as well as I'd like.

Other symptoms I experience: headaches (been getting frequent headaches since I was a teenager); sometimes migraines, sometimes tension, sometimes stabbing pain in the back of my head that is so severe I twitch - I can't have anyone touch the back of my head (near my neck) it just triggers the pain. Legaches (not cramps - I can't tell you how many times I've tried to explain to the doctors that my legs are NOT cramping); I've been getting legaches since I was about 8. It's a deep throbbing ache, usually in my calves, sometimes in my thighs, sometimes both - it used to be only one leg at time, now it's both. Tylenol and heat do help, but lately, my legs hurt constantly - and it's moved to my joints. My knees aches and sometimes feel like there is a stabbing pain in the middle of them. Sometimes it feels like someone stuck a syringe in them and is inflating a balloon in there. The joint pain has spread to my hips and my elbows. I cannot keep my knees or elbows bent for more than a couple minutes before they start to really hurt and the pain will spread up my leg or arm until I straighten them out. The pain is much worse when it's cold or rainy. I have back pain as well. I have pain in my ribcage, sometimes feels like someone beat the tar out of me, sometimes feels like I'm being squeezed and sometimes it feels like something is inside, pushing out. I have random nerve pain usually worse when it's cold - underneath my arms (from my armpit to elbow) and inside my thighs, it's a weird burning type pain that is really had to describe, but it hurts to touch it. It's not hot or red, just hurts. I don't have that very often though. The legaches and joint pain I have all the time. Headaches are frequent, but not ALL the time. I'm easily hurt - you poke me and I'll say "ow" and yes, it really DOES hurt! I'm taking Tylenol for the pain. My doctor said if my GI tests come back normal, she'll refer me to a rheumatologist. I think if my GI tests come back normal, I'll cry.

I'm usually cold and my hands and feet are almost always cold. (Ask Jack about my feet in the winter! *giggle*) I'd say I'm cold when others are not. But lately, I've been getting these "hot flashes" where I'm suddenly extremely hot when it's not hot out. I cannot tolerate cold. If you touch my legs with something cold, I will get severe pain. And recently, if I'm working with something cold with my hands, I will get pain in the palm of my hand and it shoots up my arm to my elbow. Like if I'm making hamburger patties and the meat is really cold ... I'll have to put it down and let my hands warm up and the pain usually subsides and I can continue working.

I'm tired. Mostly, I think, because I don't sleep well at night. I've tried using Benadryl or Tylenol PM and they both give me nightmares, so I don't use those anymore. I take Melatonin, sometimes helps, sometimes doesn't. ALthough, my mom gave me some Alteril and that does help. I have weird dreams and feel very unrefreshed when I wake up, so most of the day I'm really tired. I'm easily drained - going somewhere will take me out for the day and sometimes the next. I have "brain fog" ... sometimes I can't think of a word and it almost hurts my brain when I try to think of it. I often say the wrong thing, such as "Please shut the toaster," when I meant to say "Please shut the door," .. my kids think I'm hilarious.

Mornings are the worst for me, I generally wake up with IBS pain and a headache and things don't settle down for a few hours, if at all. I spend quite a bit of time in the bathroom or finding some sort of pain reliever in cupboard. Depends on the day.

I've been testing for numerous things and they've all come back negative (auto-immune diseases, inflammation, anemia, vita-d deficiency, blood levels, etc - all *normal*)

So, if you know what's wrong with me, please contact my Doctor ASAP. LOL

I know there are so many people out there that have worse problems than I do and I'm not saying "oh please feel sorry for me!" I'm just answering the question I get asked a lot. I don't want to stand there and tell you all this - it would take forever. So, now you know "what's wrong with me," : I don't know. If I get an answer, I'll let you know, but I'm tired of looking for answers.

i love it when a plan comes together

2010-09-10T12:22:00.000-04:00

Ok, not really - just felt like saying that. :P A-Team Wednesdays, you know. Yes, I realize that it's Friday. It's been awhile since I've blogged so I thought I'd write something, but now I'm really uninspired.

The bottle of Miralax that is sitting on the counter is taunting me. Everytime I look at it I get nervous. It's humongous. Next week I buy the Gatorade to stick it in. And then on the 21st I get to drink it all. Oh joy. I am so not looking forward to these scopes.

Kids are back in school and so far, so good. So, it's only been 3 days, but still. Trying to think positively here. ;)

Well, that's all my brain can squeeze out at the moment. Be back later ~

so, i'm normal

2010-08-23T16:27:00.000-04:00

Went in to see my NP today ~ I've been feeling sick and a friend suggested I may have strep. I do indeed! The last couple of years I've gotten sick a lot more than I usually have in the past. I used to never get a fever with anything ~ now I seem to have a fever more often.

Anyway, while I was there we went over my labwork. Everything came back normal. The only thing that wasn't normal was my *good* cholesterol, but she said she wasn't really worried about it since my *bad* cholesterol was fine - she said they kind of balance each other out. I was on the low side of normal for my blood count, but nothing she was concerned about. So, I'm left with more questions than answers. She said she'd like to wait until I have the scopes and see what the results are from there. Then I may have to go on to a rheumatologist since I have a lot of joint pain and it just seems to be getting worse. My RA, Lupus, Thyroid, Definiency, ANA tests all came back normal. She didn't say whether they were high or low normal, just that they were in the normal range and didn't cause any concern. But, she didn't say I was crazy. She said that it could be Fibromyalgia, but she wanted a rheumatologist to make that decision, since that's their area of *expertise*. So, I don't know how to feel. Of course, I don't WANT to have a disease, but I WANT to have some answers. I guess we'll have to wait for the scope tests - if they come back normal too, I think I might scream! They might have to put me in the crazy house then! HA!!

She didn't have the results of my heart monitor testing back yet, though, so she's going to call me about that ~ I told her I was pretty sure that I didn't have any palpitations during the test, so if it comes back normal, she's going to talk to the Dr. and see what he thinks. They have the *event* monitor that's a 30-day monitor.

Tell me why it is that when you're sick, your children don't seem to notice. I could be dead on the floor and they'd still be asking me to do stuff for them. *heavy sigh* Just because I'm upright doesn't mean I'm WELL. Oy.

Blog Hop on Follow Friday~

2010-08-20T11:26:00.002-04:00

Ever onward ~

2010-08-19T16:20:00.002-04:00

Artwork © Alan Lee

Let's try this again ~ honestly, blogger hates when I try to add photos.

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.
-JRR Tolkien, The Hobbit

Today marks the 3rd day of consuming gluten. My intestines are not happy about the whole thing. But, ever onward. If I don't have Celiac, then I think I'm at least gluten-intolerant. I can see a definite difference in how I feel going from GF to eating gluten again. Of course now that I'm trying to get some gluten in me I find King Arthur GF cookie and brownie mixes at Meijer. *laughs* Oh well. Such is life.

The camera I want is available on Amazon for just under $500. Jordan has her "Dog Savings", I guess I'll have to start a "Camera Savings". I am now accepting donations. HA HA! ^_^ Of course, I don't NEED a Nikon, our Canon Power Shot is just fine, but it doesn't give you that awesome SLR photo quality like the Nikon will. Check out Candy's article and photos to see what I mean. And believe you me, $500 is cheap as far as DSLR's go: check the Nikon website! (Be sure to view the "sample photos" - amazing!)

So, I've added it to my Amazon wishlist ... along with the hundreds of books I'd like to have. I don't know, just makes me feel closer to it if I have it on a wishlist. Call me crazy, I already know it. ^_^

Gotta say, too, that school really can't start soon enough. The children are at each other's throats lately (ok like the last month!) and they need to get away from each other for a little while. And away from me, my patience left in July. Jesse has high school registration next week and then everyone has open houses on the 1st of Sept. AND Jesse has his final driver's training test tonight - if he passes, he gets his permit and can drive with a parent. SCARY! He'll have to drive with Jack, I think I would honestly have a breakdown if I rode with him!

The road goes ever on and on ....

Just the facts, Ma'am - TMI (Health update for those interested...)

2010-08-17T12:50:00.003-04:00

Warning - this post may contain TMI (too much information) - read at your own risk. :P

Fun times visiting doctors. I'll try to stick to the facts and not complain so much; which is extremely difficult for me. I am a pessimist and a cynic and well, that's how I see things. I can, however, see the positives in things, but the negative tends to jump out first.

Ok, back to the facts. Aside from two dental appointments last week which left me with sore teeth and a visibly bruised cheek, I had an appointment to get hooked up to a holter monitor on Monday. Went fine, was a little uncomfortable to wear, but no biggie. Sadly, I had no noticable heart palpitations while wearing it - which was the entire reason for it in the first place! So, it will be up to my NP if I need to wear the 30 day even monitor (which is removable for showering and etc - and as soon as you have a couple "episodes" you can quit wearing it). I go back on September 3rd to discuss the results of the monitor and the bloodwork I had drawn on the 6th. (She tested me for many different things - Vita D deficiency, Thyroidism *either, autoimmune diseases *RA, Lupus, proteins, Anemia, and some other things that I don't know what they are.)

Next, I had an appointment today with a Gastroenterologist. Gave him my *list* of symptoms, all my moanings and groanings that I've had basically for the last 20 years. Pretty much started when I was 14 (as soon as my hormones kicked in). He said he feels that I probably just have really bad irritable bowel syndrome. Yes, yes, I was diagnosed with that in 1996 and I'm sure I've had it much longer than that. However, he said there are a few things that are somewhat concerning: that I have a lot of my *episodes* at night, that it's been getting worse, that I have joint pain (indicitive of Crohn's Disease) and bleeding. Yay me, I get to have an endoscopy and a colonoscopy. Hooray! Only not really. He said I could very well have Celiac Disease since the removal of gluten showed some improvement, but I could be not getting ALL the gluten out - so for the next month I have to eat gluten again. Fortunately, he prescribed some Levsin to help with the cramping. They will do a biopsy of my small and large intestine to see what (if anything) is going on. What bothers me, though, is that he said he was 75% sure that it was just IBS. I don't like having those scopes done on a 25% chance that there's something else. I don't have all the classic Crohn's Disease symptoms OR Celiac for that matter, but he wants to rule it out. I am most certainly NOT looking forward to having to do the prep for the colonoscopy - laxatives make my intestines cramp really badly and I can't take any drugs during it. And I get to drink two 64 ounce bottles of Gatorade mixed with Miralax ... needless to say, I hate Gatorade .... oh and they advise you on what to do if you get nauseous - I get nauseous at the drop of a hat, I'll be puking all the way to the hospital! I have the scopes back to back --- err, mouth to rear end --- I just know I'll be puking before and after the test. If you know me, you'll know how much I absolutely abhorr puking - I'd rather break my arm and leg than throw up. I asked if I'd be put to sleep - he said I wouldn't be aware of what was going on, but that doesn't really make me feel any better .... I'd like to be completely knocked out .... oh right, just the facts ....honestly, I need a lot of prayer - talk about feeling stressed out. :\

Pretty sure I'm gonna have to start a fundraiser to help pay for medical bills ~ *laughs*

ok, now where's the pizza ....

Mayo Clinic Information on Crohn's Disease
Mayo Clinic Information on Celiac Disease

I like Mayo Clinic's website best - presents the information in an organized, easy to follow/understand way.

2010-08-14T13:55:00.002-04:00

will update soon. maybe after i see the doctor next tuesday~

oh and if you are a regular reader, please consider following my blog with a google id ~ i think lori is lonely down there. :P

the air is heavy ... is it hockey season yet?

2010-08-04T11:17:00.000-04:00

Man, the air is so heavy today. I'm very thankful for my A/C. Even at 7:30 this morning when I took Jesse up to the HS to get his trombone for band camp it was thick. Thick air, heavy clouds, no rain. We could really use a good thunderstorm right about now. Storms during the day = ♥. Storms at night? Not so much. (And yes, I was up at 7:30am ... I know it's hard to believe - but I'm not gonna make the child walk.)

Jesse drove last night!! 2nd day of driver's training and he was out on the road. He got to drive himself (well and the instructor) home too. (That's why his trombone was up at school.) I don't remember driving so soon, but then again, I don't remember a whole lot of driver's training, other than my instructor was a moron. He was 100 years old, smoked a pipe and wouldn't let us roll the windows down. My lungs ache just thinking about it. And for whatever reason, he had decided girls shouldn't drive on the expressway - so I never got to practice that. There was 3 of us in the car, 2 girls and one boy - the boy got to drive on the expressway. Fortunately, he did let me attempt to park the car. :P Anyway, I guess Jesse did ok with driving, he got good marks - needs more practice on turning, guess he was turning too fast. But that's pretty good for never driving before! This is such new territory for me, makes me a little nervous. :D

Finally got a new monitor - my old one wouldn't stay on for more than a split second. This one is wide and it shakes every time I type, but it's ON. On is good.

So, Jordan and Jonah are already working on their Christmas lists .... they get it honest, though, I always had mine started in the summer too. :P Jordan wants a Lego city thing, she said that's all she wants. We'll see how long that lasts. Jonah wants an iPod. And Jaylen wants a sword. She's been asking for a sword for a couple months now - we looked at the dollar store because they used to have those foam/Nerf type ones there, but of course when she has a dollar to spend, they don't have one.

But it reminded me of my favorite Christmas special ... "Dear Santa Claus, How have you been? Did you have a nice summer? How is your wife? I have been extra good this year so I have a long list of presents that I want ... Please note the size and color of each item and send as many as possible, if it seems to complicated, make it easy on yourself, just send money. How about tens and twenties?" I love A Charlie Brown Christmas!

I can't wait for fall. I do love summer, really - I feel better physically when it's warm ... but this summer has been way too muggy and HOT - I don't do well in extreme heat ... I'm very fortunate to have central air, but there are days when I just want to turn it off and open the windows, except we don't get enough of a breeze to do that. No, I haven't gotten any box fans yet and we don't have enough of an attic to put in an attic fan - nor would it be even worth it in the long run if we aren't planning on staying here. Besides, that's a major "project" and we'd have to get it "approved". Although, it could be a good selling point. Ha. Anyway, so, yes, I can't wait for fall.

Well, I was interrupted and lost my train of thought ..... hmmm

cell phones and driver's training

2010-07-29T14:15:00.000-04:00

How did we ever survive our childhood without cellphones? Jesse's bike got a flat tire while he was out with the Coates' boys (he babysits them during the week) and he called me to have me come pick up his bike - he was having a hard time getting it to move and was stuck. So, I drove out to pick it up. What did we do when we had a flat tire on our bikes as kids? I don't remember ever having a flat tire, but I guess I would've dragged my bike home .... or walked home and left the bike where it was. Funny how we can't get along without cellphones now. I always want him to have his phone with him when he goes out in case of emergency. I guess we just didn't have emergencies when I was a kid. LOL

And speaking of Jesse, I'm wondering when he got old enough to start driver's training?! He starts next Monday and I'm a little terrified of the thought of him driving! Fortunately, Macatawa Driving School is awesome and Jesse had Mr. O (the owner) as his 5th grade teacher. Plus, we know several of the driving instructors. Unfortunately, it costs money. Big money. When Jack and I took driver's training, it was free through the school! It seems like just yesterday Jesse and I were outside on the lawn of the apartments we lived in back in 1996 in Hudsonville and we were watching the big semi trucks drive up and down the street - he loved watching them. When did he grow up!? *sniff*

I'm feeling really good about going to the doctors next Friday - something I don't think I've ever said in my entire life. I'm *almost* looking forward to going and getting my health taken care of. I have a really positive feeling about Lakeshore Health Partners. ^_^ Not looking forward, so much, to going to the dentist on the 11th of August to get my cavities filled. Don't think Jonah is either. ;) But at least Nelson Family Dentistry is awesome. Dr. Kooiker is fantastic! So I don't mind going too much. ;)

Having a hormonal week ... I know TMI ... but am getting the whole "I really want to adopt" feeling again. Might touch more on that at a different time. Maybe. :D

My mouse is possessed, it keeps moving on its own and now my cursor disappeared. :\ Strange.

etsy, gf bread and other randomness

2010-07-28T16:16:00.000-04:00

I've decided I'm going to try my hand at selling things on Etsy - not really to make a steady income, but just to make me feel like I can use my talent somehow. That is, if I really have one. ;) Sure, I'm feeling a lot more positive about myself lately, but that doesn't mean I'm completely cured of my negativity/pessimism. :D I've been doing photo manipulations (digital art) off and on for the last 7 years, I really enjoy it and have seen others selling their work on Etsy and thought I might give it a go. And hopefully add other neat stuff to my shoppe as well. We'll see. :D

On another note, I am having a very difficult time finding good GF bread. All the kinds I've tried, thus far, have been extremely dry and crumbly. I've seen mostly rice flours, but had a rice flour/tapioca flour blend hamburg bun last night - it was hard and dry. I had to cut most of it off because it was hard to swallow. I think I'm rather limited, at least to my knowledge, of a variety of things. I've read lots of different things about many kinds of flours and I just don't see them in ready-made form. I guess I'll either have to get a breadmaker or do something the old fashioned way. I love bread and I miss it. Although, I'm very thankful for Schar's GF table crackers- I love them! Didn't like their buns/bread though. The kind I have right now is Ener-G .. I guess they make egg replacers? Will have to shop around more, I suppose. Still, it was nice to have a turkey-burger for dinner last night. I've been eating a lot of chicken and fish and rice. Rice and more rice. I've yet to try Quinoa, but have a box of it in the cupboard, I've heard it's really good.

I was reading a blog the other day and they were writing about how to handle public situations in which you aren't eating what everyone else was. Their number 1 suggestion was to lie. Nice. Why is that an appropriate suggestion? I'm sorry, but if they ask, I'm going to tell them! I'm not going to shoo them away with a "I'm on a diet" or "I'm sick,". Seriously! If they bothered to ask, then why not just say, "I'm gluten intolerant." or whatever the case may be. If they want to know what that is, then tell them. Otherwise they'll just say "oh." Give me a break.

Been awhile

2010-07-27T12:43:00.000-04:00

I know, I'm a bad blogger. Although, overall, I've done a lot better with this blog than with my previous ones. I don't have much to say right now - so I'll be back shortly with something. LOL!

Zoo

2010-07-14T15:41:00.002-04:00

Last Saturday we went to the John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids. Boy was it hot! These are some pics I took with my iPhone. We had a good time despite the heat.

Sorry if blogger messes up the pictures, sometimes they look ok before I post, then after I post they're all messed up. :(

One of the kids favorite parts was the "mist", the sprayers they have in various places to help you cool off. The like putting their hair in it because it makes a spider-web effect.

And this last photo isn't from the zoo, but our front yard. This is where the faeries live ... according to Jaylen. ^_^

Anyone know how I can remove the links from the pictures?

More About Corn ...

2010-07-12T13:39:00.001-04:00

Corn is cheap, that is why it's everywhere. Corporate America isn't looking to be healthy, just to make/save money. I've had digestive problems with corn for years and then I watched some program on corn. They weren't bashing corn at all, but I found it to be rather disturbing. Genetically grown underground and all sorts of strange things. Because it's used as fillers for everything, they want to "miracle-gro" it - it's fast, it's cheap and it's everywhere. Here is a more complete list of ingredients that are either made from or with corn:

http://www.livecornfree.com/2010/04/ingredients-derived-from-corn-what-to.html

This explains why I can't eat beef - the majority of cows are fed corn:
http://www.texasgrassfedbeef.com/corn__it_s_what_s_bad_for_you.htm

Corn is a seed of an annual grass plant.
So are seeds such as wheat, oats, barley, rye, rice, etc.
These large grass-plant seeds are called grain.
None of them are good for you if health is your goal.

For instance, if you want your body to have the
appropriate balance of Omega-3 to Omega-6 fatty acids,
then if you eat one ounce of corn you must eat
2.55 pounds of iceberg lettuce at the same time.

Even if you don't have problems digesting corn, there are many reasons to avoid or at least cut down on it:

http://politics.usnews.com/news/50-ways-to-improve-your-life/articles/2007/12/17/health-reasons-to-cut-back-on-corn-consumption.html

To sum up: corn is evil. :P I know I'll never be able to completely remove corn from my diet, it hides in all sorts of things and like I said before; I'm not exactly a "healthy" eater. Your best bet? Organic and unprocessed foods. However, that is not cheap. Again, Corporate America doesn't care if you're healthy, they care about money. And that's my 10 cents on the subject. Or maybe a dollar. :P

The Evils of Corn

2010-07-09T16:20:00.000-04:00

Yes, I firmly believe that corn is evil! Avoiding corn has been a necessity for me, it does bad things to my intestines... very bad things. However, I have found it is harder and harder to avoid ALL forms of corn. Did you know they use corn to make plastic? Somehow, eating something that is used in fuel and plastic is kind of strange. Aside from that, these are common forms of or have corn fillers (corn is cheap, it's everywhere):

Invert sugar
Corn oil
Corn starch    (also called Zea Mays)
Corn syrup & High Fructose Corn Syrup
Hydrolyzed corn protein
Sorbitol
Whiskey
Bourbon
Dextrose
Sucrose
Mono/diglycerides
Corn gluten
Corn flour
Corn sweetener
Corn ethanol
Cornmeal
Treacle
Mono Soduium Glutamate (MSG)
Glycerin
Xanthan gum
Zein
Citric Acid
Dextrin
Maltodextrin

Can someone please tell me how to avoid all of the above? Other than eating only non-processed foods? Seriously, I'm a horrible eater and hate pretty much all veggies. I forced myself to eat a baby carrot the other day; I got through half of it and spit it out in the sink, it was awful. To me, all green vegetables taste like grass! (And apparently some orange ones, too) I've tried countless times to force myself to eat salad - I don't like salad dressing and I cannot eat lettuce plain. I can tolerate veggies in soup and I even like beets, but as far as anything else goes ... well, yeah, that's about it. I love fruit, but it doesn't always love me.

I'm also having a difficult time with protein. I think I have problems with soy and a lot of "high protein" snacks use soy protein or casein protein .... and along with the "high protein" snacks come "high carbs" and they kind of cancel each other out, so I'm not benefitting at all. I'm tired of eating chicken ... it's not the easiest thing to whip up quickly for lunch. I suppose I could cook a bunch and then eat it cold during the week .... *sigh* I know, I complain a lot.

Random Stupid Quizzes

2010-07-08T12:24:00.000-04:00

I love quizzes. They are usually completely pointless, but I love them anyway ...

Your Russian Name Is: Nakita Marinochka Morozov

What's Your Russian Name?

You Are Hanging Christmas Lights

You are a hardworking and happy person during the holidays.

It's important to you to make Christmas as big and bold as possible for your family.

The holidays may not seem like much of a vacation for you, but that's totally fine.

As long as you can bring some cheer to those around you, all the work is worth it.
What Part of Christmas Are You?

You Are Gold Lights

Your holidays are a time of abundance and riches.

Even if you don't have a lot during the rest of the year, this is the time that you splurge a little.

Your holidays traditions tend to be a bit old fashioned and dignified.

You like old holiday movies, properly wrapped presents, and family recipes passed down over the years.
What Color Christmas Lights Are You?

Your Animal is the Goose

You are are a resourceful person who needs a lot of stability in life.

You rather save for a rainy day, even if it means on missing out on fun impulses.

When you feel secure, you are incredibly creative and artistic. You are also very witty.

You like to invest in yourself and for the future. You like to always be learning and gaining skills.
What's Your Celtic Animal?

So, um yeah. ^_^

Conversations with Jaylen, Books and Realizing Self Worth

2010-07-06T11:19:00.003-04:00

A conversation I had with Jaylen the other day: I was laying down with a blanket on my head because I had a headache. Jaylen got in bed with me.

Jaylen: Mommy, why do you have a blanket on your head?
Me: It helps keep the room dark and I don't have an ice pack.
Jaylen: Why?
Me: I can't find it.
Jaylen: You could pretend your blanket is an ice pack.
Me: But it's not cold.
Jaylen: Use your imagination.
Me: My imagination is not that good.
Jaylen: You can use my imagination.

I ordered some books from Amazon about thyroid conditions. I got to read samples from the books, well, more like a summary than a sample, but they all sound like me. Actually, one book was recommended by a friend of mine that is about regulating hormones & premenopause, but still, thyroid & hormones are definitely related. I found a clinic in Lansing that specializes in thyroid problems and food allergies - they didn't have any recommendations for someone in the Grand Rapids area. I guess they have treatments that are a rare find. So, I don't know if that means they are holisitic or homeopathic or what. The Dr. there is a DO and they are considered a "function medicine clinic", I'm not sure what that is.

I'm also going to research the medicinal value of charcoal. I was flipping through a health food product catalog run by a Christian family and they sell charcoal tablets and capsules - for filtering your stomach. I wonder if that could help me. Not sure if I want to eat charcoal, but that's what they give you when you get your stomach pumped at the hospital if you've eaten something potentially poisonous. So, it's safe enough to consume. But I don't know about on a regular basis - plus do I really want to burp up charcoal?? It'd be like a barbeque in my stomach. Ha.

I've spent a great deal of time worrying about what other people think about me. I'm not sure where it stems from, but I have my suspicions. I felt ok about myself until Junior High, then all the hormones hit - me and everyone around me. I was teased at school for not wearing the latest fashions or not doing my hair like everyone else. We weren't poor, but I was called "poor", my parents just rathered spend our money on awesome vacations every year instead of $100 jeans. Still, it has taken it's toll on my self-worth. I had a huge crush on a boy in the 7th grade and someone told him ... I was told he said I was "homely" and I've carried that with me for the last 23 years as well as other rude comments from hormonally-crazed boys. (If I ever catch my sons teasing a girl about how she looks or commenting on inappropriate things I swear I will lock them up until they are 40 - it could scar that poor girl for life!) And because I wasn't *popular* at school, that shaped how I felt about myself. Sure, I had wonderful friends who loved me for me, but for some reason everyone in the world could like me, but if ONE person didn't ... then I wasn't good enough. I had a wonderful childhood homelife, my parents were fantastic and my brothers were great, I grew up in a really good church and had lots of super friends there. But for whatever reason, I needed to be accepted by everyone to be worth something. And just lately I've realized this isn't true. The only thing that REALLY matters is that I'm worth something to God. Period. It doesn't matter if my doctor thinks I'm a lunatic. It doesn't matter if I'm not turning everyone's heads as I go by. It just doesn't matter. And now, I don't care about it anymore. My husband thinks I'm beautiful, my kids think I'm wonderful and my God loves me. I have awesome friends and extended family. What else is there really? So I'm done caring so much (or perhaps worrying is a better word) about what everyone else thinks.

'Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind.' - Dr. Suess

These are the 3 books I ordered from Amazon. Hopefully between these and a good doctor, I can figure out what's going on. I am not crazy. Period.

Declaration of Independence and Other Stuff

2010-07-02T12:24:00.003-04:00

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

After yesterday's doctor appointment, which was more like a police interrogation than a doctor patient experience, I have decided that I care too much about what other's think rather than what I think about myself. And what God thinks for that matter. I don't really feel like going through the whole ordeal in writing - I rehashed the whole thing in my head last night, readying myself for my blog post, but have since decided against it, at least for now. In short, I'm looking for a new doctor. And perhaps an allergist. I do not like being treated as an inferior, but maybe I allowed her to make me feel that way. In any case, I don't like it. Oh and my new favorite verse is Job 10:1 ~ "I am digusted with my life. Let me complain freely. I will speak in the bitterness of my soul." (NLT) laughs Ok, I am NOT disgusted with my life, but like the "complain freely" part. ^_~

Happy Independence Day America (ok, so I'm 2 days early)! I'm looking forward to spending the weekend with my family, even if I end up taking a dozen naps since I can't seem to function without them. I'd really like to go to the zoo (we have free passes to the zoo in GR), but it's supposed to be hot tomorrow. Not sure if that's how I want to spend the day. But will be watching fireworks downtown GR on Sunday. Hope it cools down enough to be comfortable that night!

Now, to force my children to go play outside. It's nice out!

jaylen's haircut

2010-06-28T11:47:00.003-04:00

Tired of the tangled mess she has, I decided to cut Jaylen's hair. Hopefully, this will help cut down on the amount of screaming necessary to brush it. :P

Before

The curls are most likely over at this point

After

At first she wasn't real sure about it ~ but now I think she likes it ^_^

I think I cut a good 4 or 5 inches off, it made me kinda sad, but she still looks cute. And I could do without so much screaming during hairbrushing. ^_^

Oh and I changed commenting options to "Registered Users" ... meaning you either need an Open ID or a Google Acct to leave a comment - so my hubby can't leave anymore anonymous comments. :P :P

brownies and complaints

2010-06-23T17:21:00.002-04:00

I'm dreading the Dr. appt. that I have next week. I've already discussed my symptoms with her twice. I hate having to go through all of it again, especially since during my first appt. she told me I was just stressed out. Sure, I feel worse when I'm stressed - but I feel bad even when I'm not stressed. And I don't want to have to ask for blood tests, for crying out loud, she's the Dr. I'm not! I feel kind of stupid - as if I don't have anything really wrong with me. I don't want to deal with it anymore. I'm tired of thinking about it, tired of stressing about it, tired of it all! I'm going to tell her that the Elavil is definitely NOT working and hope that she will give me another suggestion. The double dose did nothing to help me sleep at all. And of course, since I've been taking it for about 4 months, I'm afraid she's going to ask why I didn't contact her sooner. Ugh. I care way too much about what other people think of me. I guess if she doesn't seem to want to deal with me, then I'll search for another Dr. *sigh* I don't really want to do that because it makes me feel like I'm the problem. I keep going over and over my symptoms and how I want to say it ... IBS that's taken on a life of it's own, heart palps, not sleeping, frequent headaches, etc. Bleh!

GF brownies are very yummy. Good thing, too, since I paid $5.99 for the box of them. :P

just another manic monday ...

2010-06-21T12:18:00.004-04:00

Can I go back to bed yet? Not that today's been bad and I actually slept for longer quadrants at a time last night, but I'm so tired. And still so hungry! I bought a few gluten-free items at Meijer last week, but UGH .. they are seriously expensive. I need more options with protein. I'm too picky about what I'll eat.

I bought organic bananas and they are SO much better than regular ones, they just taste better and the texture is better - I honestly didn't think there would be that much of a difference.

So, I go back to my DR on July 1. This time I'm going to ask about having my thyroid tested again. I had it tested about 8-10 years ago and the results were "normal", however I didn't have the *specialized* test. I don't know what it's called and I wish I did so I could just say it to my DR. This website asked 12 simple questions and said if you answer yes to 2 or more you could have hypothyroidism. I answered yes to all but two. I don't really have weight gain issues (I have in the past, but that's due to eating too much junk) since I don't eat much as it is. And I've quit drinking Mt. Dew (I quit drinking Coke a while ago - but every now and then I'll take a sip or two) since reading this website. I had searched for "brominated vegetable oil" and it took me there, I thought it was no coincidence that the site was about thyroid cancer. Apparently "brominated vegetable oil" (an ingredient in some citrus sodas) can cause your body to not absorb iodine which your thyroid needs to function correctly. So, I may already have thyroid problems, but was making them worse with the Mt. Dew. I know thyroid problems run in my family, but I think it's hyperthyroidism, not hypo.

Now I've completely lost my train of thought since my 12 year old & 11 year old decided, after 5 minutes, to abandon my 4 year old out in their little pool. Mind you the thing takes 20 minutes to inflate and another 10 minutes to fill, then add in the extra *warm* water I put in for them since the hose water was *too cold* ... 5 lousy minutes and they decide to come inside. Ugh! I seriously need a nap.

On another note, my little Poe kitten is being adopted. I emailed the Humane Society to ask if he was still *available* and they replied that someone has already put in an application for him and are possibly bringing him home today. Which is very bittersweet for me. I'm SO happy Poe has a new home, but SO sad that it wasn't here with us. They have alot more kittens available, too. :) I didn't see Shadow on the Petfinder.com list of pets, so I'm hoping she was adopted too.

fruits and veggies

2010-06-17T16:11:00.002-04:00

Beware of the randomness of this post. ^_^

In response to a comment left by Angelina - I can't tolerate eating a lot of raw fruits either. I can eat about one slice of apple a day (it takes me 4 or 5 days to finish an apple), handful of grapes or strawberries, but I have to space it out. If I eat strawberries more than one day in a row I get horrible intestinal pain. (Same with pretty much every fruit out there) As far as cooked fruits, I don't really know because it's always paired with something containing wheat or gluten (ie. pie crusts, muffins, etc), so I don't know if I'm having problems with the fruit or the wheat. I love blueberry muffins, but they don't love me. Generally speaking, I can tolerate a very small amount of fruit as long as I don't have it two days in a row. I tolerate canned fruit better than fresh. (ie. Peaches and Pears) and can't drink much grape juice at all without getting a stomach ache and normally orange juice doesn't bother me, which you'd think it would due to the high acidity.

But as for veggies? I don't know because I don't eat very many of them. I love beets (which everyone always finds so odd because I hate normal veggies like carrots) and don't seem to have a problem with them, but I eat them very infrequently.

I cannot tolerate any corn. Popcorn, corn chips, taco shells, cereal with corn flour, or corn itself. I always have intestinal upset with it, I haven't eaten corn in years ... popcorn? It's been probably 7 years since I've had popcorn. I don't really miss it, although I do miss corn on the cob, which is so incredibly yummy! But I'd just rather not deal with the stomach upset afterwards.

I haven't eaten much today, I think my stomach is mad at me. I have not given up Mt. Dew yet either -- I don't think I could unless they came out with a patch. :P :P And I haven't been sleeping well all week and waking with heartburn every morning. *whine moan complain* I'm taking Prevacid, been taking it for about 5 days now and I can just feel it starting to work, today's heartburn was not as bad as the rest of the weeks, hopefully the Prevacid will help take care of it.

Jaylen and I planted some seeds out in our "garden" (which isn't really a garden, it's just a space of grassy/weed/dirt that is in front of our house and not connected to our lawn. It's a very frustrating plot of earth that doesn't behave itself ever! There is a large day lily plant next to the porch that was there when we moved in, then my mom brought me a daisy bush that I planted in front of it (about a foot away from the lily). I've been wanting to pull the lily out, but it's too much work. The entire "garden" is only about 2 inches deep, then there's a liner that was put in that's not even an inch from the top, underneath it all? Cement. Not a good place to grow things, although my daisy bush is doing great and the weeds love it. :P Anyway, we planted some sunflowers, phlox and marigolds. I hate marigolds, but I planted the seeds near the wild strawberries in case bunnies happen by. There are no strawberries yet, but I don't want the bunnies eating the plants cuz I like them. I guess bunnies don't like marigolds. They stink. :\

It just dawned on me that I can't eat spaghetti. And I have no idea what I'd eat if I went to someone else's house. I don't want to bring food or have a special meal made for me. I'll probably end up just eating whatever is prepared and deal with the effects later. What can I do? Seriously.

Some random person sent me a message on FB today saying that "my baby" looked like it could be her kitty's twin. Aww. :( But it made me sad since I don't have "my baby". (Her words, not mine).

I remembered to return the DVDs to the library today. Go me.

i'm hungry!

2010-06-16T18:36:00.004-04:00

Well, I've decided to try the wheat flour free, wheat gluten free diet and see how I feel. Day one: I feel HUNGRY! I can't believe how many products contain wheat or wheat gluten. Too many. Like Twizzlers for example. Why do Twizzlers need wheat flour? All my yummy Special K cereals have wheat or wheat gluten (including the original which is rice flour, they add wheat gluten to it!)

So, for breakfast I ate a banana. Lunch I had organic white long grain rice. Dinner I had grilled chicken breast (boneless, skinless), boiled egg and some potato chips (Ruffles don't have wheat or wheat gluten in them) and unsweetened applesauce. I felt horrible after eating dinner, just as I usually do, but I took some Maalox (guess what Tums have in them!) and it settled down and now I feel super hungry again. I'm running out of options, I guess I'll have to look at Meijer next time we go shopping. They have a little bitty gluten-free section. I think I need some gluten-free brownies! *grins* Or I might check out Harvest Health Foods in Hudsonville and see what their prices are. They carry Larabars which I've been wanting to try. I saw a blip on FoodTV about them and they look yummy. They even have a Key Lime flavor! YUM!

Time will tell, I guess, how it goes. I'm considering getting allergy testing done to see if I am allergic to wheat or to other food items. Hopefully I can narrow it down to help alleviate some of my digestive issues. And perhaps other issues as well. But for now, I'm going to try the wheat free, gluten free thing. I wonder how long it takes before I'll start noticing a difference. I'm so impatient, I want a cure NOW! Having frequent digestive issues (meaning: everyday) is NO fun at all. :( Not to mention the frequent headaches, nerve pain and other problems I deal with on a daily basis. I wonder if gluten-free will help my Fibromyalgia symptoms too.

Is it bedtime yet?

PS. Is there such a thing as gluten (or wheat) free Saltines? I love them and love snacking on them ... but they're made with wheat. :(

ibs, baked potatoes and sewing

2010-06-15T17:32:00.002-04:00

Today marks 3 weeks since we took Poe to the Humane Society, and honestly, I've thought about him everyday. I don't know if that makes me obsessive or maybe just lame, but I really want to see him get adopted. We found "Shadow" on Petfinder.com too, she was named "Velvet" which is tons cuter than what they named Poe (Roberto). So, if you're interested in adopting a kitty or two (they are 2 for 1 at the Harbor Humane Society!) please consider Velvet or Roberto (or both). http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/16584909 and http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/16482671 ... $75 pays for shots, spay/neuter, deworming, microchip and some tests. (Can't remember off hand what they were - some sort of kitty viruses).

But on to other things. I am sick to death of having IBS - to the point where I would really like to have a digestive-tract-transplant. I'm also sick to death of worrying about what I could have and would like to remove my brain, as most of it doesn't seem to be functional anymore. :P I have been eating too many fresh strawberries as of late, and they are not agreeing with my intestines. Much to my dismay, too, because I love fresh strawberries! Come to think of it, there really isn't much that agrees with my intestines (or stomach for that matter) - eating is the bane of my existence. Seriously. So, the last few nights I've eaten a baked potato for dinner. Well, ok, last night I had grilled chicken too, but the rest of the time, only a baked potato. I take that back, only a baked potato and applesauce. Seems my gut only really likes potatoes. Everything else seems to send it into a tizzy! I wonder if I'm maybe intolerant to wheat gluten, which would be awful since I love bread. I mean, I really LOVE bread. Still, I'm sick of worrying about it. I want it to just GO AWAY. I'm tired of dealing with it. So.very.tired.

On another note, I came across a couple sewing blogs today that I find inspiring and yet infuriating. Maybe not that extreme, but still invoking lots of envy. :) I haven't touched my machine in a year. It frightens me. It frightens me because I wasn't instantly fabulous at sewing. I can't sew a straight line for nothing. I think that's what's infuriating! That and the price of fabric. I couldn't be a fabulous seamstress even if I tried. I still like looking at other blogs, though, of those creative types I'm envious of. I am creative, I know this. But lately it seems as if the creative part of my brain has melted. And it's taken my sanity with it. I need a good sleep. I don't know what that is anymore.

Some loveliness I found today:

http://grosgrainfabulous.blogspot.com/ - fabulous indeed.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/bonnybluearts - if only I could sew! (or be content enough to practice)
http://storyofaseamstress.blogspot.com/ - serious awesomeness

Well, I'm off to eat my mammoth sized baked potato.

Kitty Rescue 2010

2010-06-09T14:37:00.003-04:00

Once upon a time there was a momma cat. The momma cat decided the best place to have kittens was underneath our home (we live in a mobile home), in between the insulation and the floor (where all the pipes and wires are). I originally thought maybe the stray cats in the neighborhood were coming underneath the house to go potty or keep warm, I kept smelling something like smelled like used kitty litter. The smell would come and go - I smelled it in the kitchen and the master bath. Finally, I began smelling it in the kids bathroom - that's when we heard the thumping. Something was living under the kids' bathroom cupboard. Not in the duct, but around the vent. See, the duct system in our home is a bunch of insulated dryer tubes .. you know, those long silver things? That's how air moves throughout our home. There is a aluminum fitting that the tubes go into, but the cats were around the tubing, down where all the pipes and wires are. It's kind of hard to explain unless you look into our vent. I removed the vent cover and was able to push aside the aluminum thing that holds the duct tube ... and I saw a pair of eyes!

the view inside the vent

another vent view, this is looking inside the bottom of the cupboard and to the right ... thru the vent -- again, it's hard to figure out unless you can see it firsthand.

The first kitten I saw was Bubbles, however she was not the first one out. Bubbles peered out from inside the cupboard vent at me for awhile, she eventually ventured out to nibble on some bread, but I wasn't able to grab her.

Bubbles

The fist kitten out was Buttons. Buttons didn't care about anything except tuna fish. I was able to easily pick her up and place her in a box. No one else came out that day. I thought there were only 2 kittens altogether, but wasn't certain. Friday night the 14th of May was when we caught Buttons. She was adopted by my mom-in-law and sis-in-law.

Buttons

Buttons

We made a "playpen" for the kittens, but it didn't contain them for long!

Buttons

Buttons

We didn't get another kitty out until Monday the 16th. Jordan woke me up early Monday morning to tell me there was a kitten in the hallway. Poe was the 2nd one out, he was out looking for more food. Bubbles was behind him, but as soon as she saw me, she jumped back down into the vent. I caught Poe, he hissed a little, but soon quieted down and became the sweetest of the bunch. However, that night Poe managed to get out of the box I put him in and out of the room he was in (the door was shut with a towel stuffed in the bottom) and into the bathroom (again, door shut, towel stuffed) and back down into the vent. I was so frustrated! We managed to get Poe and Bubbles out again on Tuesday. Poe in the afternoon and Bubbles at night. I grabbed Poe and put him in the cat carrier we had after taking my mom-in-law's cat, Blue, to the humane society (Blue has potty problems). He meowed so pathetically, but I was not about to chance him getting back into the vent. Bubbles came out screeching and meowing and biting! Jack pulled her out and she bit his finger. It took her quite awhile to come around. I thought perhaps we were done, but Jack said he saw yet another kitten down in the vent. We had Poe and Bubbles for a week, trying to find them a home. The local cat shelters were full, so we couldn't take them there.

Poe

Poe

Poe

Poe

Poe

Bubbles

Bubbles

Poe was SO happy to see bubbles, he kept jumping on her and pawing at her.

Poe and Bubbles were two very silly kittens. We ended up keeping them in our bathroom during the day (we put a baby gate up at the door - until they managed to climb up that, then I had to keep the door shut when we weren't with them) and both in the carrier at night. They loved each other so much, slept together, ate together, played together. So sweet. Poe was a big snuggler, he would lay upside down in your arms and fall asleep completely stretched out. He loved having his chin or the top of his head rubbed. I think he was just starting to figure out how to purr - he wasn't real good at turning it off. ^_^ Bubbles was adopted by my mom-in-law and sis-in-law, but Poe had to go to the humane society. I really wanted (want) to keep him, but it's just not in the cards right now. *sniff sniff*

Poe and Bubbles sleeping in the "playpen".

Poe was ridiculously hyper, Bubbles was very tolerant of him.

Poe

Poe, the snuggle bug.

Poe and Bubbles liked to sleep behind the toilet in our bathroom.

Poe and Bubbles snugglin'

The last cat we weren't able to pull out until May 27, she was very reluctant. Jack had to literally put his hand down the vent to grab her out. She meowed and meowed and meowed. The entire next day all she did was meow and meow. We let her run around the house a little. I sat in the hallway with the towel stuffed extra tight under the bathroom door and she just scratched and meowed at the door. There was another cat still in the vent. I heard growling and saw eyes after Jack pulled the last kitten, Shadow, out.

Shadow

Shadow

The night of the 28th Shadow was meowing ridiculously loud at around midnight, so I got up to see if maybe she was sitting in pee or something (we had her in the cat carrier). I pulled her out and added some food and water to the dish that hooks onto the door in the cat carrier and was going to put her in the back room when I heard growling. I turned around and to my huge surprise the momma cat was standing near our couch growling at me!! I ran, with the kitten in the carrier, into my room to tell Jack. He tried to catch her too, so we could take them both to the humane society, but unfortunately, we were not able to catch her. She had been coming in and out of the house from the spot in the insulation under the house that she chewed through to get up there in the first place. We figured she'd leave during the day and come back at night. We frequently saw her on our deck and roaming around our house. We took Shadow to the humane society on May 29 and closed the vent back up. Talk about a stressful couple of weeks. They all had goopy eyes and Bubbles had the sneezes - the humane society said that, most likely, they had upper respiratory infections. Probably due to the fact that they were down in a cold, dark, damp place for the first 8 weeks of their lives. Poor dears. I was never really a cat person, until I got those little kitties out. ^_^

Did I mention Jordan and I are allergic to cats? :P

Subsequently, Buttons was renamed Vanity (I think!) and Bubbles was renamed Smokey. I named Buttons and Poe. Jaylen named Bubbles and Jordan named Shadow. Poe and Shadow are both still at the humane society - as far as I know. Poe is now "Roberto" and I haven't seen Shadow listed on Petfinder.com so I don't know what they named her.

And I just can't help it, but I still really miss Poe. ^_^

May was a very crazy month.

2010-06-08T15:40:00.003-04:00

Working on getting some books together to help Jonah this summer with his reading and writing skills. I looked up 5th grade book recommendations and chose the three I hope we will both enjoy reading together.

The White Darkness by Geraldine McCaughrean - action/adventure
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster - fantasy
Bandit's Moon by Sid Fleischman - historical fiction

I don't want to push it by having too many books to read. Overwhelming him will only cause him to shut down completely and not cooperate. I'm really concerned about his readiness for 6th grade. He doesn't have the skills right now to successfully complete it. I'm hoping that working together on reading and writing will help give him a boost in the right direction.

Now to find multiplication worksheets. Oh, Jonah is going to love me this summer. *insert sarcasm*

in the land of random ...

2010-06-05T16:04:00.007-04:00

So, I was playing with the zoom on our camera and I've come to realize that I shake terribly! It's so hard for me to keep my hands still while focusing on something up close. Granted, there aren't a whole lot of awesome things to take pictures of around here, so I shook trying to focus on weeds. :p And bubbles.

My daisies haven't come up yet, so I don't have any of those to take pictures of. There are some wild strawberries growing near the day lily, but the flowers are gone, if I get any berries, though, I will take pics of them! ^_^ The sky was beautiful out, so I snapped a couple pictures of the clouds - I did make the contrast a little higher in photoshop, so the sky really wasn't THAT blue.

And a couple more photoshop pics - I used a filter on these to change the tones, so it looks like an older photo:

Jaylen was playing with a kite, but unfortunately it wasn't windy enough, nor do we actually have enough space to fly a kite. (Jonah managed to get his up, but I didn't have the camera out at that time, of course.)

And then she decided to scoop bubble soap into her little pail (which, by the way, she is VERY excited that it's red). She cannot wait to go to the beach! Or at least swimming in Great-Grandma Glass' pool. ^_^

thursday ...

2010-06-03T12:40:00.002-04:00

Is it really Thursday? I can't remember days anymore. I think I've spent more time trying to fix the layout of my blog than I will actually blogging. I think up things I want to write about but once I have the time to sit down and type - I want to take a nap instead. I have a bunch of kitty pictures to post, but don't feel like doing it now.

I need to get creative.

nothing at the moment

2010-06-01T13:30:00.001-04:00

coming soon. :)