Lately...

  So, in two months it will have been a year since my last post - see, I told you I was a terrible blogger in my last post over a year ago.  So much has happened last year that I forgot I even had one.
   Example - my fifteen year old son had two hip surgeries - his hips have been slowly dislocating over his life time because of his inability to walk - that was just his right hip that had surgery, eventually we'll have to do his left hip too.  We also got a trip to Disney World and some of its surrounding attractions back in March of last year too, thanks to Make A Wish.  Thank goodness we did it then.  Andrew has gained 20.6 pounds since then and there is no way we could have done the things we did with him weighing that much.  Not to worry about the weight gain though, he really needed to gain it <3
  Josh and Anna are doing well.  Anna still loves school, Joshua still hates it - lol.  This year Josh is getting a home introduction to basic cooking - he still wants to be a chef, his chosen profession since he was two (when he said he wanted to be a candy man ^_^).
     Hubby is still plugging away at work and I am sort of getting back into writing a little but not much.  My wind kinda got knocked out of my sails as I began studying writing and found out I still have much to learn.  I wish I never published or went 'professional' with it.  When I wrote to just amuse myself, I loved writing.  Now when I write, I'm so critical over what I write that it has lost its luster and amusement - not just of what I write but of other peoples' work as well.  I know a story is good (or movie), that if I'm so lost in it that I don't think about how and where a person filmed it or all the mistakes made in the writing or film, I know that's a good story.  I don't tend to lose myself much any more but occasionally I do.
    This year we are starting to get things together and whatnot to do Andrew's custody case when he is 18.  What I am told is that because of his level of disability, the state will want to put him into a nursing home and have control over all medical decisions and financial decisions concerning him.  Both my husband and I want to continue as we have been with Andrew.  Keeping him in a warm, personal and loving environment with caregivers to relieve us here and there.  We're so terribly in love with our little boy, whose going on 16 in a few days.  I would hate to lose my sweet child.  Some people see it as a burden but we couldn't imagine our lives without him in it.  Sure, we miss out on a few things, but nothing we really care enough about to see it as a burden.  We still go out nearly every year to Washington and Oregon to visit family and such.  We still find many ways to enjoy ourselves here in Idaho.  Our kids are happy and well adjusted, especially compared to a lot of other peoples kids who don't have disabled children and have plenty of money and time to do whatever suits them in many cases.  Both of my younger children already know what future careers they want and are working hard to achieve them - more than I had when I was twice their age.  So anyway, I can't see why we would be denied his custody and neither does are lawyer... at least for the time being.  Who knows what the next two years will bring before us. <3
   I have also been focusing on organizing my house this year, including de-cluttering.  Amazing how 17+ years can have you accumulating so much stuff!!!  We are long overdue for this to happen. ^_^  I'm also trying to lose weight, again.  Since I got pregnant with my daughter, over 8 years ago, I went off the best 'lifestyle of eating' diet I had ever been on.  Mostly because I was pregnant with my daughter but also because so many people gave me flack for eating a low carbohydrate diet.  So, two days ago I went back on it.  First because carbs have always made me feel so horrible - at least more than what I am using now which is now back under 20 carbs a day.  Second, I weigh more now than I ever had in my entire life - this is from eating meals that are considered healthy and well balanced... Go figure.  So, not to be rude, but I'm leaving that whole FDA approved diet behind me - since it is doing more harm than good - and am starting back on the low carb.  Does it work - UH... YES!  In three days, eating to my hearts content, only watching my carb intake and nothing else, I have lost four pounds!  I feel great, have more energy - goodbye to morning breath too!  The only other thing I have added in the last month is Passion Flower extract - helps me to sleep better at night.  I was having a horrible time sleeping more than two or three hours a day, or if I was really lucky, I would get two, two or three hour segments.  Now I sleep all night long and went from being a total grump in the morning with terrible grogginess to a happy momma - such a nice change.  I've never been a morning person but now I am quite content in the mornings.
     Anyhow, I am taking in more carbscarb fruits.  When things make you sick, you tend to lose your liking of them... at least that was my experience.
     So, that's really all there is to tell.  Actually, there is more medical stuff with Andrew - including a surgery that nearly killed him the end of 2010 and the loss of several family members whom we miss dearly.  But, my hubby was up all night with the pager again and will be home soon.  He's due for some severe pampering <3.  He also is taking our sweet 7 year old daughter to a dance tonight, so I'm guessing he'll want to eat and go to bed for awhile.
     Well, if you made it this far on this post, thanks for reading it all the way through :-P.  God bless you and keep you and bring you peace through his everlasting love.

~Me~

My Bad ^_^

I'm a terrible blogger.  I mean, think about it, I put my kids, my husband, life and writing first before all other things... I guess my blogging just isn't what it used to be, if it even was.  Still, I'll come back from time to time and post... something, lol.  Back to writing books now <3

Veterans Day

I am thankful for all those who have given and given up everything for our country out of love and devotion. You are not forgotten, you have not given in vain and forever your sacrifices and commitment will be honored on days like today. From the first time we fought for our freedom to this very day, thank you one and all!

Healthy Choices

     OK, so, another long hospital adventure done, third time this year, even though we are still doing IV treatments at home for Andrew's infection in his central Nervous system. 
     With that said, and the fact that I actually am writing in my blog again, I have been thinking about ways to save money, have the family eat healthier and finding ways to have more time (especially now with the IV treatments taking up so much of my life and leaving little time left over for sleep, the family and just functioning in general.  One thing I did was to get groceries and prepare meal for nearly a month in two days.  It took some research on how best to go about it but it really paid off by saving me a few hundred dollars (or more....) for the month.  In fact, I ended up spending about two hundred less then I do just for two weeks and that was for nearly a month of groceries!
     However, it did cost me more sleep but the kids were helpful, when they could help and it ended up being kind of fun doing this with them too.  So, where did I save money?  Well first off, by having 'Ready to Eat' (practically) meals, my tendency to get fast food cause I'm too tired to cook a meal from scratch has been eliminated.  Not only does that save a TON of money but it is 100 times better for the family to have a home cooked meal without all the yuck that restaurants have to have in their food and honestly, for the time it takes to get take out... you really don't save that much time.
     Secondly, by preplanning and making a list, I tried to keep the types of meats limited, or, if I bought an additional meat, it had to be a bargain and for a specific reason or recipe.  Creating menus that did this and tripling them or quadrupling, meant that my ingredients could be purchased in bulk for less money and there was plenty to freeze for another night.  Buying this way really cut the costs.
     Investing in two stock pots (one regular and one non-stick) gave me the ability to speed up my cooking time for practically all the recipes.  I already have a vacuum sealer for food and invested in some Ball brand freezer containers, reusable of course.
     So with the meals outta the way, my next project is to make freezer jelly outta my grapes that I have growing in the back yard.  I would like to go to a U-pick orchard hopefully next pay day and get apples to make apple butter, but not sure if I will be able to afford it or not with Anna's B-day coming up and some additional bills and expenses.  It would be nice to be able to do it if at all possible though.
    Last but certainly not least, I am working on experimental baking and some other projects for the website I hope to launch in January, an on going project I have been preparing for, for some time now.  It's part of my 'Stone Creek Ministries Project' and will feature living a healthier lifestyle... physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually.  It's a huge project and with all that has been going on lately, my goal date seems more and more further from my reach but I will continue to plug away whenever possible with the hope that, just maybe, I might be able to make it without pushing the deadline further into the future.  However, bit by bit and here and there, I have been slowly getting closer to my goal.  If the progress continues, even if it takes longer than I hope, I will get to my goal. I'm still not into the phase where I can shoot videos yet, although I have the basic, very basic, equipment to start it with the option of get loan equipment from a TV studio that I'm affiliated with as a producer.
     Me and my many hobbies!  At least I'm not bored. lol.
    

Idaho Deal Divas: Tucanos Brazillian Grill

Idaho Deal Divas: Tucanos Brazillian Grill

The Website Address (Just click on words) for the Birthday Club... Didn't see It posted but could have just missed it. ^_^

Been Awhile but Not Forgotten....

     So... It has been a few months since I last posted.  Tonight I thought I would post a blog about my many 'hobbies' because I am asked about them often.

     For those of you who know, I dabble in a lot of things.  Everything from writing novels, filming, photography, working at a local TV Studio, Jewelry Making, drawing, Counseling Youth to Watching Asian Dramas, my wide variety of taste in music and TV show and political and religious views.  Of course there is also my family and raising a disabled child on top of it all.  Naturally, as a human being, I am wonderfully unique - or so I'm told, lol.
     Anyhow, the main question I am usually asked is, 'Why do so many things?  Doesn't get overwhelming?"
     My Answer, 'I get bored really easily and yeah, it can get overwhelming if I let it.  My 'uniqueness' does not allow me to focus on one thing and be content, it never has.  I also cannot follow a schedule to save my life, routine is too boring to me and I simply lose interest and so forth.  So, to compensate, I have found several things that I love to do, along with being a mom and wife (my favorite!!), and have learned how to proportion them so they do not overwhelm me nor do they become routine and boring.
     For example, when writing, editing and publishing novels, that is all I do day and night.  It wasn't long before the joy of writing became a huge pain in the backside and I hated it... well, temporarily anyway.  I love writing but not all the time.  Just like I love making Jewelry and watching certain shows, whether Asian or American but not All The Time.  I switch back and forth on everything, sometimes doing several different things in a day.  I might work on a novel for a few hours or ten minutes, then FB on and off while watching TV.  Naturally there are doctor appointments, school, playing with the kids and making my husband smile.  Sometimes, if I am really excited about something, I will do it all day or for several days in a row... that is usually when I am writing a book.  Or I might go months and never even look at my novels.

Remember this Blog is just Random Thoughts, so I may or may not make sense, but at least I'm blogging. ^_^

     Anyhow, I'm re-writing one of my novels now.  It was good the first time but I don't think it was showing it's true potential.  I also have one that I 'should' finish before Feb of 2011 so I can finish the series.  It's mostly done but I'm mad at two of the characters and am punishing them by ignoring the book - silly but true.  I actually feel things about my characters, happy, sad, ticked off, regretful... I'm sure you get the picture.

     Anyhow, now that my life is sort of getting back to normal, at least I hope it is, I have time to do things again, like blogging.  I'm not much of a 'Journal' person, which blogging is kind of in that category, so it's hard for me to stop and simply take time to just write out random stuff like this.  However, this off-kilter last minute writing is the kind that I enjoy most.  It only has to make sense to me and I don't really care if it is read or not.  Bored yet?  Well, I'm getting there, so I guess I'll say goodbye for this post and maybe on my next one I will have something slightly more entertaining to read... or not.  Either is perfectly fine with me <3

Post Surgery

Well, it's done.  Andrew had his surgery today, it went pretty good, just a few small complications but nothing serious.  There is the area on his belly where the pump went in and one on his neck were the tube went into his spine.  Both have stitches that will need to be removed in two weeks.  He seems to be comfortable for now, pretty much sleeping because of the pain meds.  Will post more later when I know more.