2012 is here and reflection is the name of the game today...

Today I a great day, even as darling hubby and I are regulated to the couch and recliner with a major head cold and sinus infection.  Three of my kids are spending time with their MeeMee and my oldest is sleeping in this morning.  

As I sit here in shock, I just realized that the end of the year is literally right around the corner and I am counting up what has happened over the last twelve months.  

In December of 2010, we moved the entire family from NC to MD, darling hubby started a new job and all four children started new schools.  I started falling into a deep depression and wanted nothing at all to do with the outside world.  I started to see new doctors and was told to do physical therapy in the water.  However, the cost of copays was hurting us taking $30.00 three times a week, and the hot water 94 degrees seemed to make my Fibromyalgia worse.

SO I started looking into other options, the local college offered water aerobics classes, for $80.00 for two months, I could take water classes and get the same benefit and save money.  I started taking classes and it changed my life.  At first I wanted nothing at all to talk to anyone I just wanted to do my work out and go home.  However, the students and instructor wouldn’t allow that.  Thankfully…

After I started this blog, the college found out about it and to make a long story short, (I talk about it in my earlier posts) I am now teaching several classes a week at the local college and will begin teaching classes for the local Parks and Recs department next week.

My children have exploded with confidence and gaining their sense of self, all of the kids have really flourished.  While it took moving out of state and away from our comfort zone, we have changed our selves almost completely.  It is a good thing; believe me, since they are coming out of their shells and trying new and exciting things.  

While I sit here and think about our changes over the past year, I miss my family and friends tremendously, but the move has really helped me and my Fibromyalgia.  I am no longer in fear of being bed ridden,  I am looking forward to teaching five days a week in the pool, to regain my strength and stamina even more.  I still have bad days and most likely always will, and that’s something that I will learn to live with.  However, it will not, and I repeat Fibromyalgia will NOT rule my life ever again.

I have a mission for all my readers should they choose to accept it.  This New Year, take some time to think about your illness and how you want to change your life in the year 2012.  Take a moment and write what you want to accomplish each month, this will allow you to become accountable.  YOU have to be the one to decide what gets done, and how it is accomplished.  No one will do it for you it is in your hands.

Remember, I will always be here for you and the other readers as well.  I have some fabulous readers, and while the blog has been a little sporadic lately, I have set a goal of writing every two or three days, if not more.  Let’s work on this together.  If you want feel free to post your goals in the comments and we can hold each other accountable :)

Butterfly hugs and lilac dreams to all.

Christmas is here and Santa is on his way :)

Tonight is Christmas Eve and I am sitting here with my little ones and my mom watching the Elf on the Shelf movie.  My kids, all ages, are so excited, maybe just as excited as I am… 

If you haven’t heard about The Elf on the Shelf, please look into it and if you have young children join in on the fun.  Our elves are named “Facebook and Twitter” and this week they have TP’ed our living room, left flour all over the kitchen telling us Santa is coming and last night paper and color pencils all over the living room.  Wonder what they will do tonight…. Hmmmmmm.

Darling hubby has been working hard out in the shop the last few days working on a Christmas present, so I am excited to see what he has been building with his two hands, and mom and I have finished wrapping all the gifts.  The kids have opened their traditional pajama gifts, and bedtime is right around the corner.  

Just remember that tomorrow is not all about the gifts, it is also about the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ and what he sacrificed for all of mankind on the cross. 

Merry Christmas everyone I hope you have a blessed holiday and enjoy the time with friends and family.

Butterfly hugs and lilac dreams to all.

Christmas is a week away… Are you ready??

My darling hubby and I went out and braved the crowds today and finished up our Christmas shopping, well everything except the food for Christmas dinner and the packages I am waiting on from Amazon.com.  LOL

If you haven’t realized it yet, I am an Amazon.com fanatic and love their customer service, return policies and prices.  Being a student it helps, but there are mom clubs and Prime membership is not as bad as everything thinks especially since I do most of my shopping from there.  

Wow I hadn’t realized that it has been two weeks since my last post.  I went to New York with the students from the college last week and we were able to spend a little time at Grand Central and see the play Memphis.  We had a great time, but the bus ride has put me into a flare that I am fighting kicking and screaming to come out of.  

My kids and I are planning to bake Christmas cookies tomorrow and I can’t wait.  We made several batches last Sunday and I took them in for the Lifeguards at the college.  They enjoyed the cookies and the homemade Twinkies.  Tomorrow we are making more cookies, fudge and peanut butter crackers dipped in chocolate, along with cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning.  YUMMY, I am drooling already.  

My oldest started his job and he is enjoying the work, he will enjoy it more when he gets his first paycheck.  Momma will especially enjoy it when I don’t have to fill his car up all the time.  LOL, he also finished his first two college courses and he seems to be doing really well.  

My mom is planning on coming up for the holiday and I am not sure who is more excited, us or her… She has already prepared the stuff she is bringing and is ready to be on the road now, LOL I am glad she will be able to spend the holiday with us.  

Gotta go and get rested for a morning of baking for the Christmas holiday.  Talk to you soon.

Butterfly hugs and lilac dreams to all.

Trip to New York is coming right around the corner…

Next week I am going to New York with the college that I work at and the students in my classes.  I am looking forward to this trip for the enjoyment of seeing New York decorated for Christmas, spending time with my students out of the pool, and to see where my stamina has come since I started teaching and taking water classes.  

This past week has been a strange one, I saw a new doctor that wants to take me off all my medication, I told him he was crazy and said I would walk out the door if he took me off the pain medications.  I tried that a few weeks ago and I will never do that again.  Doctors who do not go through daily pain and agony have no compunction to say just go off the medication… and we will try something new.  Are they nuts???  

Anyway, I was going to cancel my other doctor appointment but I need refills and I am still unsure of this new doctor so I will have to go anyway, ugh I am getting sick of doctor appointments again.

So is everyone ready for Christmas yet?  I am finalizing up my last minute purchases and then I should be good to go.  I have wrapped everything so far, and trying to stay on top of it so it is not so overwhelming later.  It is turning out to be a good thing.  

I have been busy trying to figure out if I want to do a Christmas get together for a few friends, but my problem is deciding on who to invite without it becoming a HUGE affair that will make me feel bad after wards.  Maybe I will just let it rest and deal with it later.

I need to work on my Christmas letters, and get them in the mail, however, I am waiting on pictures, and maybe just maybe they will be a little late this year.  

Well gotta do some homework, and need to get my day back on track.  Talk to everyone soon.

Butterfly hugs and lilac dreams to all.