Wendy Loves Me!!!

Look!!!

Wendy gave me this awesome and VERY pretty award....cool, huh?!?

So now I have to list 10 things about me....and trying to find ten things about me that I have ALREADY told you is hard. But I'm going to try.....

1. I can't sleep if my feet are covered with a blanket or sheet. I honestly feel like I am suffocating if they are under the covers. My dad is like this too, so I know I'm not completely alone on this.

2. I have a brother. Did I ever tell you that before? We never got along growing up and we still aren't close. But since he lives really far away and we basically only talk on the computer or by texting, we get along just fine now =D Love you Jeff!!

3. My hubby eats bread with peanut butter whenever he has vegetable soup. GROSS!! I know this isn't technically about ME...but it grosses me out so that makes it about me.

4. Roast Turkey (or chicken) with stuffing and gravy is my MOST FAVORITE MEAL. But it has to be bread stuffing. I wont eat that crap with fruit, nuts or oysters in it. Just bread, onions and celery!

5. I don't really like Chocolate ice cream. I know...Shocker! right? I would rather have vanilla with chunks of chocolate or whatever. Its not like I wont eat it...but I would rather it be at least mixed with vanilla ice cream.

6. I had 2 iguanas, a snake, a many guinea pigs growing up. Plus cats and dogs. I love pets! I named all my iguanas "Bobo" and I never had more than one at a time.

7. I would rather drink water than soda or juice. I hate carbonation and don't like how juice makes you feel even more thirsty. At least I feel that way after juice.

8. I collect Boyd's bears (plush). I lost count a long time ago.

9. I snore.....bad. that's all I am saying about that.

10. I don't pee my pants anymore since I had my surgery in August....Yay!!

So there you go....even more useless information about me. I hope you enjoyed it!

Now I need to pick some very deserving bloggers to pass this award along to....

Rebecca at Knit by God's Hand

Amy at Amy's Awesome Nest

Georgie at Decisionally Challenged

The Girl with Flour in her hair at Peeling an Orange with a Screwdriver

Missy at Is it Just Me??

2010 Get to know you Meme

My head is empty of all blog ideas so I stole this from M-Cat.....I'm sure she wont mind.

Welcome to the new 2010 edition of Getting to Know Your Family and Friends: The Blogger Version. Make sure you comment and let me know you're playing!

What's your occupation right now? Official Title: Mom. Plain and simple.

What color are your socks right now? White. Very, very white because I bought them yesterday.

What was the last thing you ate? Butterscotch Krimpet Tastykake

Can you drive a stick shift? Yes. I had 2 cars with stick in my life. I LOVED driving stick, it is so much fun.

Last person you spoke to on the phone? Hubby

Do you like the person who sent this to you? Well, no one sent it to me but I really do like the person I stole it from =D

How old are you today? old enough to have a High School senior. Ugh. I am 38.

What is your favorite sport to watch on TV? Nascar....don't judge!

What is your favorite drink? water or decaf iced tea...NO LEMON!!

Have you ever dyed your hair? Yes, ever since I was about 13 or 14 years old.

Favorite food? Chocolate and Cheese...but not together.

What is the last movie you watched? I went to the movies to see New Moon with Amy in December. The last movie I watched at home was Cloverfield and I watched that with Hubby.

Favorite day of the year? Thanksgiving

How do you vent anger? Call my Mom or Amy and vent. Or cry in the shower.

What was your favorite toy as a child? I was a Barbie girl...I had Barbie everything!

What is your favorite season? Spring....it is beautiful, warm (not too hot) and we open up the camper.

Cherries or blueberries? I like both, but would probably pick Cherries

Living situation? Living at home with Hubby and my two youngest boys. My oldest moved to his dad's house a couple years ago.

When was the last time you cried? I ALMOST cried on Friday when I left my doctors appt.

What’s on the floor of your closet right now? There is a floor in there?!?! Really?

What did you do last night? Dropped the boys off at God Squad (youth group) and went to my new Bible study group. Then came home and watched TV with Hubby.

What are you most afraid of? My kids getting sick....Autoimmune diseases are hereditary so this is a constant worry for me.

Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers? extra cheese please!!!

Favorite dog breed? English Bulldogs (had 2 growing up) and Boxers (ours died in 2002)

Favorite day of the week? Sunday

How many states have you lived in? 3....Delaware, NJ and Massachusetts

Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds!!....does anyone really LIKE pearls?

What is your favorite flower? Sunflowers

Which of your friends in this distribution list have you had the longest? This didn't come from an email so I will say that the bloggy friend I have known the longest would be Amy.


Now - feel free to play along! I'd like to know more about each of you!




I also want to let everyone know that I put WV back on my comments because I was getting several spammers comments.....I didn't know what else to do. Anyone else know how to get rid of them besides word verification??

Tuesday nonsense

Hi Bloggy Friends! I hope everyone is doing well and is healthy. I don't really have anything important to write about but I wanted to write something.

I will start with this little gem. Hubby came home from work last night, ate dinner and then got on the computer. He set his FB status to say what he had for dinner because it was SO good.
And yes, I MADE that dinner. Even if he didn't tell ME how much he enjoyed it...I got the message loud and clear. Thanks Hubby!!

My friend Amy's Dad needs prayers. He is going for a cardiac cath on Thursday. They know he needs some kind of treatment and the cath will give them a better idea what he needs. Please say some prayers for his healing and for the whole family to have peace during this hard time.

I feel like I am coming down with a cold. That by itself isn't too bad. I can handle that....a little Nyquil and I'm all set. The problem is that my body doesn't handle new stuff well......which means that it is already reeling from missing my Methotrexate a few days ago and now it is fighting a cold. Not good. I am in so much pain and so weak I can barely move off the couch. I did manage to throw dinner in the crockpot. Now I am counting down the minutes until R's nap time. I hope to sleep until J gets home and then continue to rest on the couch. I have pain meds available to me but I don't like to take them during the day. I am tired enough without them and I am always afraid I might fall asleep or miss something. So I will just curl up and wait until bedtime for my pain meds. Ugh.


C is a senior in High School. This is his last year on the Robotics team (not a HS team, a regional team but after HS they have to become mentors and not actually compete). In a couple months they will be going to upstate NY for a big competition. We have NEVER been able to go. This year I am all but begging Hubby to find a way for us to go. This is it.... His senior year. His last year to compete. Our last year to go to this event to cheer them on. Hubby is trying his best to find a way. I will let you know if this works out for us.

Hmmmmm.....I cant think of any more nonsense to write about. I'm not sure if that is because life is pretty boring right now or because I am so tired. Either way I'm done. Its nap time.



Bye!!!

Liver, Methotrexate and listening to my own advice

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4

I have been trying my best to accept things that happen as God's will. To be ok and to KNOW that God has a plan. It is not my place to ask questions. I am just supposed to lean on Him.
OK God....I am leaning. Help me to not doubt. To not question. To not wonder. To give it all up to you. Help me please. Amen.

Friday I went to see my Rheumatologist. If you have followed me for awhile you will remember last spring when I came off the Enbrel for a few months so I could start on the Methotrexate. This was my Rheumys idea. He thought my PCP jumped into the Enbrel too soon. I did it. I had several BAD months. It took nearly 6 months of building up the Methotrexate in my system along with SEVERAL dosage increases to get where I was starting to feel better. To notice a difference. It didn't "fix" me, but it helped. And believe me.....any help is a good thing. When I saw him on friday he told me that the Methotrexate is hurting my liver. And he told me to SKIP my next dose.....have bloodwork next weekend and then resume on the Methotrexate at HALF doses.

Really? REALLY? I know I can't risk damaging my liver. But I also know that a lower dosage doesn't help me. Maybe on the inside it does....maybe it helps stop my disease from affecting my internal organs. Maybe is stops it from progressing. But it DOESN'T help me FEEL better. It doesn't help me get out of bed in the morning. It doesn't help me to get through my day or take care of my kids.

So here I am.....freaked out that the next month or two (or more!) will be bad. Hubby told me that maybe this will work out so that I can go back on the Enbrel (which helped). He also said that maybe this is God's will and it will work out for a few other things going on in our lives. Yes....my hubby said that. Hearing him think like that warmed my heart....and helped me to get through a very dark and sad friday afternoon.

I have to trust in the doctor....because I don't want liver damage. I WILL make it through no matter how rough the next month or so will be. I have great people in my life who will help me. And I have God. and God has me.

God's Blessing

Within the past year we have faced some difficult hurtles. Challenges that keep us on our toes and wishing for a reprieve. In spite of all this I have seen a steady stream of blessings coming to me. Of course I know that everything is a Blessing from our Heavenly Father. I think the blessings that have most affected me within this past year have been the friends that God has given me. There are 5 women in my life right now who are amazing and each of them blesses my life in a different way. Each of them fills a different need in my life.

I will start with Amy. I knew Amy back in high school. We weren't really friends.....I only knew her because she dated my brother. I liked her, but we traveled in different circles. We had different friends....and to be honest I NEVER spent much time with my brother. We didn't see or talk to each other in years, not until we started talking on FB. Not only do we enjoy each others company, our kids play together and we are Neighbors. Right around the corner. Close enough to walk or ride bikes (well....if I could ride my bike). Amy is the friend I turn to first. Good, bad, happy or sad.....she gets the call or text right after Hubby (and sometimes Mom....Hi Mom!!). She is my shoulder, my cheer section and sometimes my conscience. I will ask her opinion on everything. Nothing is off limits.

Next is MA. She was my best friend from 8th grade through High school. We were inseparable. Either we were at my house or we were at her house. Always. It was like we were joined at the hip. She was the sister I never had. Things happened and we lost touch. I NEVER stopped thinking about her. I thought about contacting her family to find out about her. But after all those years it was awkward. I knew it was wrong that we weren't still connected at the hip. But making that first step toward contacting a friend is hard. So I started talking to her brother and EVENTUALLY we found each other on Facebook. Again....Facebook gave me back an awesome friend. MA is THE funniest person I have ever known. It is impossible for me to be in a bad mood with her around. She makes me laugh and makes me happy. Seriously, her just being in the same room fills me with joy. It may sound weird, but it is true.

My third amazing friend is Valerie. She is another one of my brother's ex girlfriends....and another friend I found through facebook. I loved Val when she dated my brother. She was one of those bubbly people. And so darn cute! Now Val is a beautiful Christian woman who lets me vent and lets me be her shoulder too. We could talk for hours and feel like we haven't had enough time together.

The next two friends are new friends. I met one in the fall and the other one last week. But I still consider them to be great friends that I couldn't live without. They both were sent to me from God.
I met both Lorraine and Lori through my MOPS group. OK, not really....at least not directly. You see, after I started going to MOPS I decided to try out that church. I needed a new church, desperately. But that's a different post. My very first Sunday I felt overwhelmed and lost. I was trying to get my boys into the correct Sunday school classrooms and was unsure about what I would do for the next hour. I met Lorraine in the hallway. She basically grabbed me up and said "you're coming with me" . She hasn't been able to get rid of me yet! One day her daughters soccer team was playing my sons soccer team and we had the chance to talk. Really talk. We both have a similar situation with our oldest sons. Just knowing someone who understands how I feel and has been through similar things was like a weight lifted off of me. Finally, someone got it. She "got" me.

My most recent friend is Lori. God crossed our paths at a MOPS play date. While all the other moms were chatting in the other room and the kids playing around them....we took our boys out to her garage to bounce in the bounce house. I don't remember who started talking first but it doesn't even matter. All that matters is that we clicked. In a big way. We clicked about many things but mostly we clicked when it came to our faith. And we both wanted and needed a close friend to share our growing faith. Today R and I went back for a play date. Only this time it wasn't the whole MOPS group. It was just us and our boys. And it was perfect. We talked for hours. It felt like I had known Lori for years. I'm comfortable around her. We both can open up and share. How great is that?!? We made plans to meet every week, so the boys can play and we can spend time together with God. Bibles open, prayers being said and hearts being filled.
It doesn't get much better than that!

Believe me when I say that I pray thanks to the Lord everyday. I thank him for my family, friends and everything God does for us. And I always, always say extra prayers for these special friends. Because I love them....and I need them.

Bad Denise

I haven't been a very good blogger lately. I haven't been a very good blog reader either. Sorry. I really don't have a good excuse. Unless being a mom, wife and patient count.
Do they count?
OK......just so you can stop wondering this is what has been going on in my life.

I visited with friends. Several friends. Old friends. It was awesome seeing each and every one of them.

R peed his pants in Walmart. Yeah, I thought we were over that too. Obviously not.

J has a bad cold. Bad. Poor J.

Poppop isn't doing very good. It isn't anything I can put my finger on....I cant say it is this or that. But he just isn't doing well. He is weak. He looks bad. I'm worried.

I have been to the dentist several times since the beginning of the month....with several more visits to come.

I found out that John Hopkins in MD has an entire department dedicated to Sjogrens. I wish I lived closer to Baltimore.

My husband is back to working full time. That is a huge blessing BUT he isn't in his normal position at work. He HATES what he is doing now. He HATES going to work and he HATES the thought of doing this for several more months.

I have had some good days and some bad days. Today is a bad day. I'm in pain. Apparently my body doesn't like when I am super busy.

hmmmmmm.....yeah, that's it. Boring, right?

I read this passage this morning and it stuck with me....

I know the Lord is always with me.
I will not be shaken, for He is right beside me.
No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.
My body rests in safety.
Psalm 16:8-9

She is Awesome and so is her view!!

I'm at Amy's. Blogging. Cause she rocks!! She actually took a vacation day so that me and my boys could come play at her house on the river all day. Too bad it's cold out. Too cold to actually be outside to enjoy the river. But I am sitting here typing on my laptop and can see the River. ALL OF IT! Awesome! I want to live on the River. She is SO lucky!


Thanks for spending the day with us Amy and J.