February Update

Can't believe February is almost over.   I have spent all of February sick as well as the last 2 weeks of January.   Started with a sinus infection.  Then was better for a few days.  Then the kids all got the 24 hour stomach bug but I of course had it for 3 miserable days.  Then round 2 of sinus infection which then lead to a horrible ear infection that keeps getting worse instead of better.  Antibiotics, ear drops and pain meds.  Then needed benadryl because the vicoden makes me itchy all over.  The ear pain is insane.  I get ear infections 2 to 3 times a year but this is the worst one I have ever had.

On to some pictures.

We had my inlaws over for the Super Bowl.  That was a lot of fun and yummy food!

This was one day that I was feeling ok!  

I joined Ipsy and got my first bag this February.  

I made a nice dinner for Valentine's Day.  It was so good.  We had london broil, french onion soup, salad and cake.

Now it's time to put all the Valentines stuff away.  Looking forward to hopefully a healthy March!

Happy New Year!

I can't believe 2016 is here......so I am a little late on this!  My oldest graduates from high school this year!   That is just crazy.  Time flies by!

Anyway here is a quick recap of our NYE treats and then our late Christmas with my inlaws.  I wish I had taken more pictures but I didn't.

For New Year's Eve we had a few snacks:
Sausage cheese balls
Turkey meatballs
Bunless chili burgers
Shrimp
Lil' smokies
Veggies & ranch
Hot wings
Loaded potato skins
Chips

We did work stuff during the day then after work stuff was done we watch the new Vacation movie for the second time.  The first time we saw it at the movie theater.  After that we switched back and forth between the NYE tv specials and a football game.

Then since my inlaws were out of town visiting their daughter and her husband we had a late Christmas with them.

We had a nice dinner.  I cooked up a yummy leg of lamb, mashed red potatoes (I had cauli mash), and veggies.  I also made french onion soup and left the bread out of mine. After dinner we had the zucchini cake from the Trim Healthy Mama cookbook and I served it with strawberries.  The leg of lamb recipe can be found HERE.  It is a Martha Stewart recipe.

Then I finally put all the Christmas stuff away this past week.  I had a little help from a protesting dog.  Dozer wanted the closet area for himself.  Took a few cookies to get him to move out of the way!!

That's it it was all really low key and very enjoyable!! :)

Recap of Christmas Day

The dogs woke me up at 5:30am like usual.  They have their schedule and they stick to it.  I got up fed them, let them out and then enjoyed some quiet time by the Christmas tree with a hot cup of tea!

Once the boys and hubby woke up they all came downstairs to the family room and started opening their presents.  

After opening all the presents it was time for some brunch.  Hubby and I enjoyed a cup of brandy slushy, kids had OJ.  We had eggs, shrimp, bacon, sausage and orange cinn. rolls. 

Then for dinner they all requested steak fajitas!  YUM!!

Then it was time to relax!!

Merry Christmas 2015

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!   I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas with family and friends.

Here are some previous Christmas pictures.

and this years picture again:

Friendsgiving - Thanksgiving

We had a Friendsgiving on Sunday November 29th.  We have friends and their kids over.  There were 14 of us all together. We put a sheet of 4x8 plywood over the table and squeezed around it.  12 is great with that but 14 is tight! :)  It worked great though!

We did a bacon wrapped turkey.  The turkey was just over 15lbs.  I stuffed it with a lemon, onion, celery, fresh sage and rosemary and some thyme. The turkey turned out so good.  I totally forgot to take picture after it came out of the oven!!

On Thanksgiving we spent the day at my inlaws!  We had a wonderful time.  Now bring on all the Christmas fun!!

Life Gets In The Way

I haven't been around much.  Most of the projects I have worked on or wanted to work on have been put on hold.  This summer has been rough.  I had no idea what was going on with me.  Why I was in so much pain joints/bones?  Why I was tired all the time? Why low grade fevers every day?  I went to my primary care doctor in July then ended up sitting in the rheumatologists office in September.

Blood work didn't show much. The only thing that came back abnormal was something called Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibody test. My rheumatoid factor test was negative.  I was told to expect a 3 month wait to see the rheumy but once my blood work came back I was seen the next week.

The rheumy did more blood work and xrays.   I was started on predinsone for a 6 week taper down and plaquenil.  X-rays showed no degeneration in my hands but did show bilateral osteoarthritis in MTPs and also bilateral calcaneal spurs. 

So my official diagnosis is Rheumatoid polyarthritis with osteoarthritis and he threw in chronic fatigue syndrome.

The plaquenil can take a while to work so it's just waiting right now for some relief.  I go back in 4 months.

On to a few pictures.

I love tea.  Lately I have been adding some fresh grated ginger and or turmeric to my tea.  I don't mind the little flakes of it. Plus I love the extra flavor.

I just turned 37 and my children informed me I needed to color my hair and start wearing more colors.  I told them my jeans are blue and I don't always wear black socks or black shoes lol.  So I colored my hair to get rid of the grays and then they tell me my hair is to dark. Can't win!  Brutally honest kids!!

See the owl?  He is so CUTE!  I found him at Target a few weeks ago!

Here are all my loves!!

So that is what has been going on around here!  

Happy 14th Birthday Jacob!

It is so hard to believe that Jacob is now 14!  It  seems like yesterday he was just a little baby!

We had Grandma & Grandpa Owen over for his birthday and had a good time.   Grandma and Grandpa got him a go pro type camera which he really likes.  He is going to take it with him to Wyoming when he flies out to visit his Aunt Susan in August!

I have been redoing Jacob's bedroom and will share that tomorrow.  

I have a little story about the cake that almost wasn't!!

Sunday I headed to the grocery store to order a cake to pick up on Tuesday. Store #1 said they weren't taking cake orders.  And that was fine because all their cakes were for babies or very young kids. They had nothing that would work for older kids or adults.   On to store #2.  This store was Meijer.  At first they told me no to Tuesday because the cake decorator/baker was off that day.  I then asked about Monday.  They said that was to soon.  Then she double checked with the baker and they could fit it in. So YES!!  I placed the order and they said it would be ready at 8pm on Monday.  They are open till 9pm in the 24 hour grocery store.  I get there at 8pm on Monday and no one is back there. Baker had left or was on break.....not sure.  So I found a guy stocking the shelves outside the bakery area.  I asked if he could go get the cake. It was on a shelf beside the counter and my arms just weren't long enough to reach it.  First he said no. So I said "you can either walk back there and get it or I will go back and get it myself".  He went back and grabbed it.  Then he asked if I had paid for it.  I told him no that I would pay for it up front like you always do. They don't even  have a register at the bakery.  He replied to me "I am trusting you and taking your word for it. Please remember to pay for it."  I was just shaking my head and thinking so I would buy all the other stuff in my cart but not the cake??? ugh. 

So that's the story about how the cake almost wasn't!  lol 

Happy Birthday to Jacob!  You are such a wonderful young man and a very hard worker!!  We love you!