Sally

Meet my new youngest child, Sally. Sally Sourdough Starter is named after my great grandma Sally Salmons. Wish me luck!

Happy birthday to me!

Wow! I totally forgot that I even started this blog. 

Why does 2017 feel like just a couple years ago but also like a lifetime ago? Facebook must have updated because I now see a link to this blog on my FB profile, which wasn't there before, and this is why I'm here right now. :) I don't normally hang out on my own FB profile, but I was responding to happy birthday wishes this morning. 

Happy 46th birthday to me! 

Wow, life has changed a lot since my last post. Our youngest just turned 20. 20!? Are you serious right now?

Our older children are doing well and making their way in this crazy world. The youngest almost lost his life last May. Almost a month in the ICU, two of those weeks were on life support. He spent a total of over three months in the hospital. It's been 9 months of stress. The ICU doctors estimated he had a 60-70% mortality rate. Uncontrolled Familial hypertriglyceridemia and diabetes caused severe pancreatic injury, severe necrotizing pancreatitis with multiple organ failure. ICU docs had a really difficult time stabilizing him. They had to narcan him three times in one night because they couldn't get his sedation level right. The BP cuff was giving crazy readings so we had to step out of the room so they could place an arterial line. They told us his heart was in danger of stopping bc his BP was so low at that time. He had to be put on a ventilator because his body was in shock, obviously, and he was septic. He was basically hyperventilating. His heart rate was through the roof initially and he was hypoxic, which is why they intubated him. The pancreas basically set off a bomb inside of him. He had multiple organ failure. His triglycerides were around 4,700. He had multiple rounds of dialysis and plasmapheresis to clean his plasma. The pancreas was necrotic and eating itself. He had multiple surgeries to cut away dead tissue. He had high fevers, a bad infection in his abdomen. They were pushing diuretics to move the fluid out for weeks while they waited for this body to "wall off" the fluid so they could go in and drain it safely. They drained a total of around 7 liters of fluid. There was so much fluid that both of his lower lobes of the lungs were collapsed and he had a two liter pocket of fluid pushing on his left lung. The fluid and inflammation caused strictures in his duodenum, which meant nothing could move past his stomach. He threw up everything, even a sip of water. He had a huge pocket of infected fluid around the head of his pancreas. They placed stents from his stomach to that pocket of fluid and it drained into his stomach. He lost around 125 lbs. He was literally starving. They had to place a stent so he could eat but he still had trouble keeping things down for a long time. He looked a character from The Simpsons at one point bc his common bile duct (liver) had a stricture and his bilirubin was so high. He was too ill at that time to place an internal stent so he had to have an external drain. That was terrible for him. That drain and the bag was pretty nasty. They were eventually able to place an external stent after a few months. The final stent was removed about a month ago. He has been cleared by his GI doctor and doesn't have to go back unless something else kicks off. 

Now that things have settled down a bit, he is dealing with the mental/emotional trauma of what he has been through. He is tough young man, physically and mentally, but that was A LOT to go through. He was in intense pain for months. They would not increase his pain medication. I understand they don't want to create an "addict", but you can't say "severe necrotizing pancreatitis is one of the most painful conditions a person can have" and then not try to manage their pain effectively. 

He still has digestive issues but that is to be expected. He has scarring, deformities from the stents and a lot of damage in his guts, but he is relatively lucky. He has a neuropsychology appointment at the end of this month. Concerned that he may have suffered some brain damage from his near death experience. 

I think now that he had his last surgery, I've come out of survival mode and it is really hitting me. I almost lost a child. That is the hardest thing anyone can face. Most of the time, it doesn't feel real. It feels like a movie or something. I don't know how to explain it. I guess that's survival mode, keeping it at arms length so it doesn't crush you. I drove two hours almost every day to see him for over three months. Keeping it together, running a business, taking care of everything here at home. I am really proud of myself. I thank God for giving me the strength I needed. When I look in the mirror, I can see effects of the stress. I have aged SO MUCH in these last 9 months.

I'm praying that 2026 is going to be a good year for our family.

Icepocalypse 2017

Yesterday it was in the mid 60's, and today I was busy running around preparing for an ice storm. smh....

I had to go to 4 different stores, but I think I have everything we need to survive for the next 4 days. :) I went this morning to avoid the crowds, but I forgot about the older folks. They were out in full force this morning. lol

I really, really, REALLY hope we dont lose power. That is definitely my biggest concern. We have a fireplace, and my inlaws have a generator, so we will manage if it does. We had an ice storm back in 2007 or so, and we were without power for 9 days.

The school district did the right thing and already called off school for tomorrow. I wasnt going to take the kids even if they didnt, but thats neither here nor there.

Unfortunately, the husband has to go to work on Saturday and Sunday, so I will definitely get a few more grey hairs while he is making that 40 minute drive.

Welst, Id better go check on my pot of chili.

Captain's Log: Day 3

This is day three of my 21 day fast from Facebook. I am happy to report that it has been much easier than I anticipated. When the decision was made that I would be giving up Facebook for 21 days, I had quite the pit in my stomach. As a stay-at-home mom, I don't get out much. Most days, Facebook is my only connection to people outside of the house (except for the random people I see at the store). The thought of being so disconnected was kinda scary. I have only "cheated" and logged in one time, on the first day, and I immediately regretted it. As I scrolled through my feed, I really didn't feel like I was missing too much. That is not an insult to my FB friends at all. I love keeping up with everyone. I just had an overall "eh" feeling as I was mindlessly scrolling through my feed. Facebook has become my go-to when I have some time to kill, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it was taking up way too much of my time. It had become an "escape", for lack of a better word. A tool for zoning out, taking up time when I don't feel like doing something (laundry, etc). I was hoping that with all this free time, I would become more productive. Sadly, that has not been the case yet. Granted, it's only been two full days, and I haven't been feeling very well.

21 day fast.....

Today is my last day on Facebook for a whole 21 days! My awesome church does a 21 day fast at the beginning of each year. I usually fast a food item (chocolate/soda/etc), but God has laid it on my heart to fast Facebook this year. It's so weird, because I never thought I was "addicted", but when I really took a step back, I was shocked at how often each day I mindlessly scroll though my FB feed. I love seeing everyone's updates and pictures, and it's going to be a LONG 21 days, but this is definitely something that I have to do. I've been making excuses about not "having time" for Bible study and reading the Bible, and now there will be no excuse! Every time I have the urge to log in, I will pray for strength and focus and pick up my Bible. Most of us in Facebook-land have been plugged in for years....I can hardly imagine going one day without checking in. It's going to be really weird to be so "disconnected", but we all survived before Facebook, and I will survive these 21 days :) :) :) :) :)

DIY tiles

How cute! I might actually be able to do this little project. :) I say "might" because no amount of wishing can make me crafty.....but I try.

http://www.hometalk.com/9824034/tile-samples-to-pretty-trivets?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=syndication&utm_campaign=ppm&utm_syndication_post=2019#lb-signup

Gilmore Girls!!

I am so, so, so, so happy that Netflix has revived this show!!!!! I am not ashamed to admit that I have binged watched GG on Netflix not once.....but twice....from start to finish. I cannot wait until November!!!

Fall TV.....Wooooohoooo!

September is an awesome month, bc most of my favorite shows come back. I am so READY. I am running out of shows that interest me on Netflix and Hulu. I am about to start watching Wayward Pines. Wish me luck!

Some of my returning faves.

The Blacklist
Modern Family
The Middle
Blindspot
Brooklyn 99
New Girl
Fresh off the Boat
Superstore
The Goldbergs
Blackish
The Mindy Project....
and some more that I cant recall at the moment......

A new show that I am looking forward to is American Housewife. Katy Mixon is a great actress. Loved her in Eastbound and Down and Mike and Molly.

Kevin Can Wait looks like it could be okay. The preview didnt sell me on it 100%, but Ill give it a shot bc I like Kevin James.

I am bummed to see that three of my shows have been cancelled.

Grandfathered was a cute show! I wanted to see what was going to happen between Jimmy and Sarah, dang it. I honestly dont know why this show wasnt more popular. Mysteries of Laura was pretty good. It was somewhat predictable but I enjoyed seeing Debra Messing again. The Grinder was cheesy but good for some laughs.

The show I will miss the most.......

Rizzoli & Isles
😫😫😫😫😫

I love these two ladies! (I dont get why people talk so much about these two "hooking up". They are just really good friends!)

I love how the show dealt with some pretty messed up stuff but stayed lighthearted and was never too "dark". It was well balanced, IMO.

Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookie Bars

It's almost pumpkin everything time....which is fine by me. ;)

http://delightfulemade.com/2015/09/13/pumpkin-spice-sugar-cookie-bars/

Life with kids

......made the mistake of leaning against the bathroom counter. How in the hell did one of these kids get that much toothpaste there?! Hoooooooooooow?!?!?!?!?!

Thanks for nothing, kid.

31 wasps.....

That's the name of the horror movie I have been living today. It just so happens to be the number of wasps that were in my kitchen this morning. Not even kidding. They apparently came in through the microwave vent. *shudders* I managed to kill about half. I was swatting and they were flying everywhere. One landed on my head and another on my hand. It was super traumatizing. The rest have retreated behind the microwave where I cant get to them. There is just one lookout peeking under the microwave.......

 Look at this little a-hole.

Not only do I have the trauma, I am forced to clean under there now. I tend to be an an "out of sight, out of mind" person when it comes to housework. If I dont see it, it aint bothering me. Well, now that Ive seen it, I have to clean it.

Thanks a lot a-holewasps!!

Crazy is as crazy does.....

I hesitate to make a post like this, but I really need to vent a little. It's therapeutic for me to get the words out of my head and see them. We've had a big change in our family. My step-son has moved in with his mother. My husband's crazy ex has been at it again. I'll never understand people who need constant chaos in their lives. I don't have the time of energy to go over the past 12 years of drama, but it's been SUPER fun. Let me tell ya. My husband and I have absolutely, 100%, never talked negatively about his ex in front of their two kids. It’s sad that she has never given us the same respect in return. She talks badly about us constantly, and she has nearly ruined any chance of me having a good relationship with my step-kids. If the kids attempt to defend us to her in any way, she will start in with the manipulation. "Oh, you love them more than me?!" They never hear the end of it. They were too young to remember, but SHE is the one who left them back in 2004. She was running around, chasing guys. She was rarely seeing her kids. My husband was working full time and taking care of two small kids the best he could. When she heard that I was in the picture, she has done nothing but stir up drama. I am ALWAYS the scapegoat. I walk on eggshells. I choose my words carefully, because I know she grills them about everything that I say or do when they are here. It doesn't matter if my husband and I do everything right. She is a master manipulator. She can spin any situation and make herself look like the "victim". Isn’t it nice that she doesn’t have to deal with that same level of BS when it comes to her husband? I guess my husband is just more mature than that. He doesn’t feel the need to cause chaos constantly like her. It’s really sad that a 17-year-old girl has to be told that it’s ok to love BOTH sides of her family. She was literally crying and said, “Really? I can?”

Her crazy mother has made the kids choose between their parents, and it’s really pathetic. She involves the kids in everything. She tells them details of conversations that aren’t their concern to try and make my husband look bad. She will tell the kids, "O..M..G....your dad is yelling at me." or "Your dad is being so mean to me." ((Insert dramatic "victim" face here.)) There is really no winning with that woman, because we won't stoop to her level. My step-son has wanted nothing to do with his mother for quite some time. He is 14 now, and he is starting to see the crazy for himself. If he didn't want to go see her, she would threaten to take away his phone. She even threatened to cancel his health insurance......um.....do what now? What parent makes that kind of threat? We have insurance on his anyway, so whatevs. When his phone was bugging out, she refused to authorize us to take it in to have it fixed, so I spent literally hours researching the problem. Figured out it was a bad battery and ordered a new one. But apparently, I "hate" him. Someone who hates you isn't going to spend that much time helping you out.

The word "crazy" really doesn't accurately describe this woman. I am pretty sure she has Munchhausen syndrome, mixed with Hypochondria, and then you add in a severe personality disorder. I've never seen anything like it. She LOVES going to the doctor, and she loves dragging the kids there too. She makes my step-daughter stay home from school to "take care of her" when she is sick. That's not a kid's job!! Awhile back, the crazy ex got an infection after oral surgery. She literally told the kids "she could die” like 17 times. Parents should be honest, but they should also protect their children. Do you think my husband let the kids know how he almost died? No. Why worry them like that? He was in the hospital with his blood sugar close to 700. He could have died. The doctors were surprised that he wasn’t having a stoke. When he went to the hospital with what was believed to be a heart attack, did he freak the kids out by telling them he might be having a heart attack? No, because parents should protect their children. She needs constant attention and sympathy, and it's really disturbing.

We get the kids' insurance statements, and my step-daughter was at the doctor more in one month than I have been in 20 years. The same week that my step-daughter had her first period, she had her at the doctor getting her on birth control pills. She wasn't having a issues, had no boyfriend or anything like that.....it was odd.

She took my step-son to the eye doctor when he went to stay with her for a couple weeks over the summer because he is "almost legally blind". That's funny since he has never once mentioned not being able to see clearly.
She said his tennis shoes were a "size and a half too small' so she had to buy him shoes. You aren't going to be able to get your feet in shoes if they are that small for you. Again, he never said anything to us. She took him to the chiropractor and they found something wrong with his back. Of course, bc chiros always do. I have my own personal beef with chiros that Ill save for another day. He has never complained of back pain. Not once. She took him to the dentist for a checkup and he needed one tooth pulled. Its been like 7 months since his last checkup and he hasn't complained at all about tooth pain.....but its our fault. She took him to the orthodontist and had braces put on even though he was VERY adamant that he did not want braces. She threatened to call the cops for "medical neglect".......mkay. Then, she immediately demanded half of the money from us. She doesn't bat an eye dropping hundreds for herself and my step-daughter to get their hair and nails done and getting mani/pedis and massages regularly, but got pissed and expected reimbursement when she spent money on my step-son Funny how that works.

Anyway, I rambled a little. Back to my point. She wanted to spend some time with my step-son before school started. He really didn't want to go, but he knew he would never hear the end of the it. She spent the week "whining and dining" (sorry-can't think of a better expression) him. Spending lots of money. Doting on him. She has been treating him like the king of the world. He just broke up with his girlfriend, so he didn't want to face her at school. She used that to her advantage by telling him he could have a "fresh start" if he moved in with her. Literally, the DAY before school started the crazy ex sent a text to my husband from my step-sons phone basically blaming it all on my husband and calling him a crappy father. I have never seen my husband so hurt. It was pretty messed up.

The sad fact is that my step-son is very much aware that his mom has been bribing him (those were his words), so my best guess is that he is taking advantage of the situation. He is a teenager, so I can’t really blame him too much. If he can do what he wants and get a bunch of stuff, what teen wouldn’t like that? He barely wanted anything to do with his mom for a long time. My husband had to literally force him to visit her. Now, he thinks his life will be so “magical” with her? Right. We've been there, done that. He tried was living his mom a couple years ago. Same scenario. Lots of money, manipulation, doting. He wasn’t happy. The money runs out. The doting stops. He was always the third wheel. He doesn’t want anything to do with manis, pedis, spray tans, hair extensions, massages, etc. He didn’t have anyone to hang out with or talk to. Keeping him happy there is going to be a full-time job.....and expensive. She can only keep up this charade of  buying his love for so long.

Coffee and coffee cake

Good morning!! I am starting my morning off with two old pals.....coffee and coffee cake.

This coffee cake turned out amazing, and it was so easy! I will put the link up for you.

http://www.adashofsanity.com/2016/05/shelias-coffee-cake/

I hope everyone is having a good Monday so far. I know Mondays are terrible in general, but it's actually not a bad day for me. Our school district has the four day school week, so my kids are off on Monday. And now that the hubs is on midnights, I don't have to wake up at 4:30 am anymore.

I'll be right back, Coffee's kicking in. Yikes.

I absolutely can't believe it has been seven months since my last post. What? That doesn't sound right. I know it's cliche, but this year has really flown by.

It's had some tough spots. My sweet in-laws are dealing with some serious health issues. My mother-in-law just had her second heart surgery this month. Last week, my father-in-law just found out he has cancer,,,,,again. He has a lot of people praying for him, so I am confident he will beat cancer again and keep on keepin' on. The man is in his 70's and has way more energy and is more active than I've ever been. Their house burned to the ground a couple years ago. They are such kind people. I hate seeing them go through all this.

The kids started back to school a couple weeks ago, and we have all transitioned smoothly into the new routine.

Well, I have lots on my "to-do" list, and between sleeping in, eating coffee cake and blogging, I don't have much morning left. :)

The Christmas tree is still standing!

I was totally joking when I ribbed my husband, for taking forever to haul the Christmas tree back to storage, by saying, "At this rate, this thing will still be standing here on my birthday."

Well, my b-day is next Wednesday, sooooooo it's looking like a real possibility. (It's very heavy, and my back cannot handle it. Otherwise, it would have disappeared 3 weeks ago!!!)

I've gotten so used to a naked tree standing in the front room that I hardly notice it anymore! Maybe, we will just leave it up all year and decorate it for the various holidays. We can have a Mardi Gras tree, a Valentine's day tree, an Easter tree, a St. Patty's tree. Hmmm....this is actually sounding pretty awesome. lol Those trees would be amazing! :)

Twinkie Heart Cakes

http://www.smartschoolhouse.com/diy-crafts/twinkie-heart-cakes/2

Declare a decree over your life every single day.

If you have some time, you should watch this video. Even if you aren't "religious", I think you will be able to appreciate the power that our spoken words have over our lives. If we speak negatively, we will live a negative life. If we speak positive words, words of victory, we will reap those positive rewards. I wrote out my "decree" today, and I plan on speaking it every single day!

Mine includes statements like (and this is just a little snippet. Mine is a full page long!):
I am a child of the most high God, and no weapon formed against me & my family shall prosper.

I am strong and healthy. My mind is sharp, and I am full of energy. I am free from my past. I am confident. I am forgiving, etc........

I am successful. I will live in abundance. I free from debt, and I will lend & not borrow, etc.....

I am a better mother, wife, daughter, sister and friend than I was yesterday.

Better is coming for me and my family. My family is blessed, and we have the favor of the Lord.

It's tax time again...and time to fight with my ex

It's tax time again, which means it's time for the annual fight with my ex-husband. He keeps claiming the kids, even though he SHOULD NOT. Sometimes, I get my return in before him, but usually not. How he gets his return in so early is beyond me. I was able to claim the last year, but I have been fighting and appealing for 2012 and 2013. They approved 2012 and denied 2013, even though they were exactly the same. M'Kay. Someone just didn't feel like doing their job and denied it. Had to file an appeal in Tax Court. Waiting to hear back from the Appeals Officer has been nerve-wracking. 

A little background: We have three children together. He went into the Navy when our oldest daughter was about a year old. He cheated on me....a lot. I had A LOT of suspicions, but I never had the "smoking gun", so to speak. We moved to Guam with the Navy. Our youngest daughter was born there. He would spend thousands of dollars (not even joking) at strip clubs. I had to control all of the money or he would blow every penny. I found out later that he has a sex addiction. One day, he decided he would rather hang out with his single "boat buddies" and said he wanted the kids and I to leave. So, myself and our three small children headed back to the states, and he got to whore around to his heart's content. He re-married, had another daughter and tried to play the role of father and husband again. He lasted for a couple years, but she caught him sleeping with women in Craigslist sex ads. They divorced, and his 2nd ex-wife and I are actually friends. He is on his third wife, and she is quite a doozie. She is one of the Craigslist sex ad women. They do the whole "swinging" lifestyle. Lots of gross stuff is on-line about them. Ugh. I could write for days about these two dillholes, but I aint got that kinda time. 


He has the kids' emails, cell phone numbers, etc. I have done nothing but encourage him to have a relationship with his children. He just chooses not to. He has seen them maybe 3 or 4 times in ELEVEN YEARS. He has missed almost every single birthday and holiday. Yet, for some crazy reason, he feels like he deserves to claim the kids on his income taxes. Seriously, dude? Yes, our divorce papers DO say that he can claim them. The only problem for him is for any divorces before 2009, per the IRS rules, the divorce papers have to be very specific. All the divorce papers say is:

Plaintiff (Brian) will be allowed to carry the minor children as tax exemptions or any other tax benefit for as long as they are eligible. Defendant agrees to execute IRS form 8332 or any other documents requested by plaintiff or any taxing authority to execute this provision. 

Our divorce decree does not specifically mention any of the three requirements listed in IRS Publication 504.

I was unaware of this at the time, but I have recently learned that when he initiated the divorce proceedings, Guam did not have jurisdiction. The Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA) gives "exclusive [and] continuing jurisdiction" to the courts of the child's "home state," which is defined as the state where the child has lived with a parent for six consecutive months prior to the commencement of the proceeding. The children had already lived back in Missouri, our home state, with me for over six months. Soooooo, are we even really divorced? lol

He doesn't provide over 50% of their care (He is behind almost $14,000 in child support at the moment and has been unemployed for many months.) The children don't live with him, and he has zero supporting documents. 

There is a chance that the IRS could side with him because, well, it's the IRS, and they can do whatever they want. 

I am just so ready for this to be over!!

Cherry Sweet Rolls

http://lemon-sugar.com/2013/09/cherry-sweet-rolls.html/

If I had yeast and cherry pie filling, I would totally be making this right now....at almost 10 pm. Lord have mercy. I love cherry sweet rolls!

Preach it, Ron.

Mini Cherry/Cheese Danishes

http://hugsandcookiesxoxo.com/2015/11/mini-cherry-cheese-danishes.html

These look SO DELICIOUS!!!