A mother's love...A childs Grace!

Motherhood had tought me so very much. Most recently, I am learning to love and live through the eyes of my children.... To children love has no color, gender orienation, or age. Children love without knowing. They love their parents, their friends, their grandparents, the stranger on the street that needs a hug. Children love like Jesus wants us to love. What if everyone could love like a child loves? Children trust without being told too. They trust those that are closest to them without question, and sometimes try to trust others but thats where parents come in. What if everyone could trust like a child trust? Children forgive! Ever watch kids get mad at one another? They get their feelings hurt, cry, scream, yell, do whatever it is that they do but less than 5 or 10 minutes later they are best friends again. What if everyone could forgive like a child forgives? You know what I think? I think God gives us what we need to learn to do all these things through the lives of our children. Watch close and listen! Protect the children that can teach us about who we need to be.

Thankful Heart!

Thank you Lord. Thank you for carrying me through this battle, for believing in me and seeing the person you created me to be and showing me that same person! Thank you for lifting me up when I simply couldn't. Thank you for allowing this storm so I can grow, that you for protecting me through this storm but not covering me so much that I could not see it! Thank you for the friends and family you have placed in my life and for covering me in love! Even while I spent 2 days in bed alone, I was not alone. You were there even though I wouldn't go to you. I cannot imagine the deapths of depression that would have emerged had you not been with me. Thank you for providing me the reality and the understandings of the struggles that I have fought for so long! No this is not the way *I* wanted to get help but I trust it is the plan you had instore when you created me! I AM dealing and I understand this will be a progress. Thank you! I know that WE can see the end of this and inspire others that they can too!

Progress or Set backs

I've been studing the Proverbs 31 woman/wife/and mother and today I came to realize that she her husband certaintly did not work the night shift! I slept so good last night, for the first time in many nights I slept. I didn't toss and turn, I slept. I knew I should have stayed up once he got home but I wanted to share that feeling with him. It's be so long since I have been abe to curl in his arms and feel the heat of his body next to mine. I embraced it. If only for an hour, I enjoyed each minute through the, "Mom I'm getting a juice" and "Mom, Turn the TV channel." to the eventual CRASH, "I found Marbels" How did they get the marbels off the coke machine? Never mind... ARise and call THEM blessed!

Say What?

Back from the doctor. My first thought leaving the office was alot really mean things that I won't say aloud but to sum it up basically, I felt like again, he didn't listen to a word I had to say and was only there to take my money! After going down the list of medicines, I've taken and how I responded to them. That one made me feel like a zombie, that one didn't do anything at all, that one is the last I took and worked( as long as I took it) and THAT Oh No never again. That one made me feel like I had bugs crawling inside me and like my head was pop right off my head! Sooooo he decides to put me on.... SOMETHING ELSE!!!! REALLY? Am I a lab rat? UGH... Okay whatever, I'm desperate at this point. He says its like the one that worked but a little stronger. Did he NOT just hear that I have 3 kids to take care of and MUST function through the day! Here take 1 at night and a 1/2 during the day when you get overwhelmed. I'll see you back next month and I want to do some bloodwork. I wanted to scream YOU ARE MAKING ME OVERWHELMED!!!! I resisted and took my little slip and asked him what to do about the pain in jaw, neck, and head. Well you already said your taking Motrin and Alieve so continue that the only thing we ca do is treat the inflamation. UGH AGain. Its NOT really working! I hang my head in disapointment and walk out to the checkout lady, called my husband and gave him the entire spill and came home. After Dr. Google told me everything that was wrong with said medicne I called the on person I knew who would tell me the truth. . . My trusty Pharmasist assitant and friend! ... I feel alot better talking to her so now I'm off with script in hand to start yet another journey with prescription medicine.!!! I really dislike medicine and that I feel like I need to rely on them. I don't know what I'm going to do when I am old. :) Guess I better take care of myself now huh? ! ? Well finally after running around taking care of a few things, I was able to take some of the new medicine. THe first hour I didn't think it worked then I started realizing that those "liitle" things the kids where doing "should" nbe driving me crazy. Hmmmm..... Welllll.... Okay..... Then I started to feel Happy. HAPPY! Actually started playing with the kids and cleaned up a bit and felt an almost "giddy" feeling. It's 9:00 and I finaly evicted them out of my bed because the tickle monsters were starting to hurt me! I am actually feeling sleepy. Not tired but sleepy. I haven't felt sleepy in weeks. I am going to go ahead and take the full one tonight to see how it works since the 1/2 didn't cause any ill effects. Looking foward to more days like today!

Good Days and not so good days!

Now that I have welcomed you into my acceptance, I need to fully accept it myself.My doctor's apt is tomorrow morning and I am nervous as heck so I will write and maybe will figure out how to tell him how I am feeling. I woke up yesterday after 2 days in bed( not sleeping, I never sleep anymore), later than I'd like to have but again I was up until 2am. I was always told if you couldn't sleep then God wanted to tell you something or you needed to tell Him something.Well let me tell you, I'm just about done talking and I'm not hearing anything except the sound of my breath. I HAD to get up and go get the "babies" so I dressed and headed out the door. Out of coffee NO and in my laziness I hadn't made any tea. It was a morning where water wasn't cutting so I stopped at the store and grabbed a Dew, still in a slumber, when I had the strongest urge for some chips. The saltest chips I could find. I have always craved chips when I get this way. Its the weirdest thing but it happens. I searched and finally decided on some store brand sour cream and onion with chedder. I'd usually opt for Muncho's but knew I needed something less crunchy, something that could dissolve instead of being chewed. I took some Motrin and ate my chips as I drove to Momma's with the local country station blaring. I couldn't really tell you what songs played or by whom since I don't normally listen to secular music. I do remember Lady Antelbellem's song I need you now because I thought now many times do they play this song a day. This one I knew because it must come on atleat every hour or maybe its just everytime I am in listening distnace. 15 minutes later, I am at Momma's and I down my Dew,stuff a mouthful chips in my mouth, and put on my happy face before I walk in to greet my babies. Peyton ran to me meet me while ELi and Brooke hid under the tent to protest that they were not going home! This is a game they play everytime I go to pick them up. On days like this I would normally feel that they just don't love me and might be better off staying but I've finally learned that its just one more way that they show how much they love thier Nanny and PawPaw. I chase them around and tickle until they guilt me into staying for supper. While we were there we played outside on the swing, came in and played in the tent, watched some NickJr, and then went to see their favorite aunt next door. I made some Koolaid and loaded the dishwasher and fixed some treet( Meals are so different there than at home). After playing outside they were all hot so I fixed them each a drink. About 45 minutes later Peytin has a huge uncontrollabe meltdown and I really didn;t want to deal with it but we made it through and then I stop and think.... Organge koolaid. How do you get orange? Red and yellow UGH, how stupid can you be is what I am thinkingto myself, so I take Peytins Koolaid away and make some lemonaid. If you follow on Fb you know that we are keeping Peyton away from Red Dye. Now I'm beat and Peyton is asleep so I send the oldest over and read while Peyton naps. Peyton wakes up and we head over.She asked if we wanted to go berry picking. No part of me wanting to be out in the Forida heat at 4:00 to pick blueberries but I knew the kids would enjoy it and they LOVE blueberries so we head off after it takes 30 minutes to find and on shoes. After all that Peyton still ended up in just socks. They enjoyed riding down the country road without their carseats! That was a big treat since I am a carseat Natzi most of the time. We walking and picked for about 20 minutes before my oldest, Brooke, was done. She informed us she was hot and sweating and going back to the truck. We made her stay about 10 minutes longer and finished up. We poured our berried each into one bucket to see that together the 5 of us picked almost 1 ice cream bucket full. Back to Aunts to wash our bounty and put them away. I left that to my Sister in law while I went to Momma's t help out with supper. My favorite hamburgers. Nothing gets better than feeling the squishy gooey hamburger meat into the round disk that will soon be douvered inside buns. Can you hear the sarcism, I hope so. Anyway, its done and its back to rounding up the kids for supper. Suprisinly not that bad this time. I only had one protest and that was Brooke wanting to eat Speghetti with her Aunt instead of hamburgers with us. That make so much sense since she hates hamburger meat. She opted for tomotoe, fries, and a peice of lettuce. It woud not suprise me one bit when she decides she wants to become a vegitarian. I used to make her eat meat but I've learned many other ways to get her to eat protien. She does love hotdogs and bolonga and chicken nuggets. I think only because its so far from what it really is and I haven't bothered to tell them. Anyway we eat and finally load up to come home. Each of them telling their stories and singing their own songs eventually ends up in a fight when Eli sings and Peyton can't hear herself. I love my kids but they fight over the silliest things. Home! Bedtime! Fight! GARBAGE!!!!( dead dog walking again) 45 minutes of unloading and making beds, calming down, and tucking in and all is quite. This and that are out in 30 more minutes and the other an hour later. Now its time for Mommy to relax and spend time with Daddy right? WRONG! Once the comotion settles my jaw is unbearable and nothing is touching the pain. Tylonal, Motrin, Nyquil. Still awake until 1am and tossing and turning until the kids come in at 8:00 ready to start their day. Today! Dishes piled up, and a list of things that need to be done! Motrin downed with no relief, breakfast done, and it's already time for lunch!

Avoiding the white coats.

This is how I feel so often, like anyday someone in a white coat will show up at my door and take me away. Life is stressful, we all know that. What some don't realize is just how stressful it can be for some. A struggle I have battled as long as I could remember. A child that always cared way to much what people thought about me to a preteen with serious stomach problems caused by stress. "Nervous Stomach" that is what the doctor called it when I missed a week of school in the fith grade and was physically sick because I cheated on a test and didn't want to be caught. Then came middle school and I "survived" by being activly invisible. What does that mean exactly well basically I did everything there was to do without drawing any attention to myself. I tried cheerleading, band, chorus, eventually moved to highschool and found Drama and Color Gaurd. My same little group of friends, same teachers, same good grades, same invisible me. What noone knew was that being smart didn't come easily for me. I never slept and I spent all my alone time in my room doing homework. I'd actually lock myself into my room before a test until I knew that I knew that I knew, I'd not only pass but get a B or above. A C wa not acceptable in my eyes. When it got to be to much I'd bite the upper part of my thumb stopping just before it would bleed. I managed to date, have a social life, graduate with honours, and continue to college. I held down two jobs in college with a full time course load. Planned a wedding and finished with my AA degree and AAS degree. Noone knew that in between classes I would be in the bathroom or in my car with my heart pounding so hard I was struggling to breath. A handful of people have seen the severity of my "episodes". I'm pretty sure, it scared the hell out of them. How would you feel if you were to witness the "Got it togther gal" in a bathroom crying because it feels like the only way you can breath at all. Shaking to the point you can no longer stand. Crying more and pyhically not being able to stop. Breathing only in between tears and sobs, if even then. I eventually learned to hold a glass of water. Somehow the action of focusing on holding the glass of water and the cool water on my lips helped. The first time I experienced this was before I left high school and was told I had an "allergic reaction to a cough syrup". Hmmm.. Okay? It continued without the cough sryup. Afterwards, I could pick myself up to continue through the day and then would be so wiped out that I would sleep for days if I could. It wasn't always an option so I forced through in a happy zombie like state, never knowing if anyone noticed it or not. My friends know when I disapear to just give me time. It got really bad after I lost Kaylee. I kept moving on though. I was at my neices 5 birthday party the day after my surgery.You can read Hearts Changed Lives rearranged for that experience and the depression I suffured through then.... I think I am getting better then life slaps me on the back and puts me on the floor. Now its the small things that I bottle up and take it out on my mouth. My gums like hamburger and my teeth grinded down to the point of chipped and barely there. I eventually explode. Not by yelling or throwing things like when I was a child, but by crying, shaking, chest pounding, and feeling like I am not worthy or anything including life itself. I start getting headaches daily that turn to migraines and then my TMJ flairs up to the point I can barely talk or eat and I am in pain constantly, eating Motrin and Tylonal.I've taken all the meds then I think I'm okay and God's got this and life gets in the way and I don't take the time to go to the doctor to get meds, I blame something else, not having the money or being able to get a sitter. Life right! I am slowing learning that as a parent the BEST thing we can do is take care of ourselves. I do not want my children to remember me this way. Staying up until 3 and 4 am and staying in bed until 10am only getting up to turn on TV and get juice and cereal for everyone. My 6 year old has even started taking on that responsibilty coming in to wake me and tell me that she got the "babies" something for breakfast. How sweet and sad is that? I finally get up but I am not there. I try to be happy, but deep down I know that know. I can see it through their eyes that they want to make Mommy happy! Their smiles, their songs, their hugs I know they love me and for the most part only see the happy me. I've gotten really good at "hiding" my feelinsg but it has really put a hurting on me, my life and the life of our family. That is not faiar to anyone. SO I called, while in a "controlable" attack and had someone come get the kids, and made the doctors apt. I stand today and realize that I will NO LONGER let this control me. If it takes meds again I will go that route again. You name it I've taken it. Some good some made me feel even crazier than I already feel. I've done the "talking to people" now I am going to try writing and sharing. I feel my best when I am writing. i don't care that I am not good at it or that I have huge run on setentces, followed by sentenses that start and end with prepisitions and that my spelling or atrosious. None of that matters right now. What matters is that I am dealing and for others to know that you are not alone and I pleed with you if you are going through PLEASE do something about it! Also never assume that you know what is going on in someones life. That smile, that hello, or that wave could change their entire day. Don't simply walk through life and ignore everyone around you. Life is to short and to meaningful!

Change of Heart

Yes,I know I haven't written in a while. I have succomed to living life and being content... We shoud never be completly content. We should always have an expectation fo more...Tonight I come to you because my heart is heavy in a way I have never experienced before. Tonight I come to you as the Mom of Bleu and Cocoa... Bleu is our American Bulldog.Cocoa is our full blooded mutt. To undestand where I am coming from you have to understand a little bit about me. You see, up until about a year ago I would openly admit "I don't like dogs. I don't do dogs. They chew up everything. They poop inside. The bark all the time. They jump on you and they don't listen. Why would anyone want this in their home." Yes I know how bad that sounds. I don't really know when I became that way. I had dogs growing up, I even watched one give birth. Our dogs were always outside and protected us from snakes. We played fetch but we never got "close" to them, well I didn't anyway. I grew up and still had a distain for dogs. I once remeber getting bit by a chihuahua, maybe thats why I always felt that way. It's not that I didn't like pets. I loved fish and frogs and lizards. There was just something about dogs. I met my husband, Tommy, in 2000 and the main person in his life was his American Bulldog, Jake. Yes I said person. Jake was not a dog, he was a four legged human. He ate at the table with Tommy, he ate what he ate. He loved brocoli and brussel sprouts. When we met there was no doubt that he loved Jake more than me. That slowly began to change and let me tell you Jake did not like it one bit! We would sit on the couch and Jake would weasle his way in between us. I don't know how many times I went to kiss Tommy and got a cold wet dog nose. He slowly began to grow on me but was stolen shortly after we bonded. We found the person that stole him and he admitted to selling him as a fighting dog. However, no dog no case. That is what the police told us. We have spent the past 10 years trying to help people understand that not all bulldogs are for fighting. In fact, bulldogs are loving, caring protective animals. Through the years we have had many dogs come and go and I never really let myself get attached. We got married and now have kids and our kids love animals just as much as their Daddy does. Where did that leave me? I blamed every dog we had for this and that and that and this and I just did not understand my families love for dogs.I finally broke down and did the only thing I knew to do. I prayed for God to change ME. I realized that the dogs didn't listen to me because I didn't respect them. I didn't give them half a chance.I slowly started seeing a change in Cocoa's attitude. He was listening to me. He crept his way into the bed at night. He sat ontop of my feet while at the computer desk. He came when I called. He started listening so well that Tommy often had to have me to call Cocoa inside. I couldn't belive it, was this realy happening? Was *I* falling for dog? Cocoa is now almost 2 years old and is one of my best friends. Tommy desperatly wanted another full bread American Bulldog and I knew we were not in the position to get one. They are quite expensive to someone looking for a pet. I made a "deal" with Tommy and told him okay if you can find one under x amount of money then we can get it... Now keep in mind, this x amount was so far from reality that I NEVER imagined it could happen! It gave Tommy hope though and I needed him off my back! He searched online everywhere and found breeder after breeder all telling him the same thing, giving him the same numbers. He was very open about what we could afford but never gave up. One day we recieved a call from a breeder who knew we didn't have the money and he had people willing to pay full price for this last little dog he had but he did not get a good feeling from the applicants. We spent weeks on the phone with this guy. He agreed to our x number and a week later we met Bleu. We named him Bleu because he was born was with one Bleu eye. The kids fell inlove as we knew that they would. Tommy of course was smitten and I was in complete aww... This was the moment that God really started changing me. I saw Bleu and it was like I was looking at my future, almost like looking at your newborn baby. We took him to PetSmart and let him pick out his own toy then we went to McDonalds and got him a peice of sausage. We took him to the park and then to a birthday Party. Busy Day for a new member of the famiy but he loved it. He only had one accident all day and was a joy. We saw him interact with many kids that day and the smile on the kids faces was pure joy. He curled himself in our bed that first night and Cocoa never once seemed threatened, never offered to snap, in fact Bleu was like his new baby. He "told" Bleu when to go out and when to come in and the only thing they ever had tiffs over was the food bowl. Who knew an 8 week old baby could eat more than a year and half old dog! The last 6 months has had its ups and downs and we have lost many shoes,and kids toys. So many cars has los their wheels and Barbies have lost their limbs.Many nights have been spent with him curled up in our bed. Frankly I am still not sure how 2 adults 2 dogs and atleast 1 child can fit into a bed. Many times all 7 of us are piled in bed! I never have to worry about if someone is in the yard because Bleu and Cocoa will let me know. This all changed 4 days ago when a neighbour knocked on my door to tell me that Bleu had been hit by car. My heart sank as I woke Tommy up and he immediatly went into respond mode. Tommy swooped him up as we crazily tried to find a vet that would see him. Finally almost 2 hours after the accident he found Freeport Vet Clinic who agreed to see him with no upfront cost. The sedated him on pain meds and we waited over the weekend to recieve the news that he needs hus hip reconstruted. We are now trying to come up with 500.00 to get this going.God placed us in contact with They're so fluffy who created a website through ChipIn and are helping us spread the word. I then created a facebook event and we have had people donate raffles. ANYONE who enters will be automatically enrolled in the raffles. I am not one to beg or ask for help but I can not imagine having to tell the kids that Bleu can't come home because we don't have the money to pay for the care he needs. I can't and won't imagine my life without Bleu in it! Blue has showed me that God created ALL creatures and that we are love one another and this includes our furry friends. Thank you for reading our story and most of all for letting me get all my emotions out right now! Now you may being saying this is not God it's a series of coincidences... Did I mention the breeder we got Bleu from was a pastor? If this story has touched you at all please donate to Bleu's care. EVERYTHING will go directly to Freeport Pet Clinic. No amount is to small... Thank you. God Bless