"Such Great Heights"~The Postal Service

Holy Moly it has been FOREVER since I last posted.  And looky!  ITS MY 100 POST!!
Not that I forgot about blogging, its just that life has been insane the last month or so....so on that note here goes...
I started working!  Part-time, but I'm working!  I work a few hours a day for a couple days a week.  I have my good and bad days with it, but the company that I am with is understanding thank goodness!  I love being back to work, and thinking back on this time last year, this felt like a hopeless dream.  I never thought I would have been able to get back to work.  Last summer was miserable!  
I push through most days, and the bad days I have to lay low.  Those days usually fall around days where big storms are coming through, which here in VA seems like a lot.  
I'm driving again!  I drive almost everywhere, again except for bad days.  I drive to and from work, also taking my husband to and from work.  I can do grocery shopping on my own now and I don't feel as trapped anymore.  
I haven't made any strides with filing for disability.  Seems my case has been put on a stand still because there has been no activity with it for months.  Even though I am working, I'm noting working fully and I have to miss a lot for those bad days.  If I wasn't with the company I am with, I highly doubt I would be working at all.  So, I'll keep pursuing it until I get some answers.  Its frustrating, but I need to do it.
Looking back a year ago, so much has changed and I feel so much better nowadays.  I'm not in full remission.  I still rock every day, its just a matter of how much movement is going on.  My biggest thing is the ear pressure that I get....IT KILLS!  
My kids are doing awesome and having a great summer so far.  Lily is officially starting Kindergarten in the fall and Seth with be a 3rd grader.  Can't believe how time has just flown by so fast for them.  They are both active in scouts.  Seth went to Boy Scout camp early this summer and learned how to do archery and BB shooting along with some basic swimming, sports and building.  He built this awesome tool box.  He also just participated in the Rain Gutter Regatta and had a blast making his boat with his dad.  Both kids went to vacation bible school as well and met a ton of new friends.  
I still get to keep my niece Keeleigh on Wednesdays and the three kids have a blast together playing.  
All-in-all, I'm surviving.  My family is surviving.  We are taking it day by day, but that's what you have to do in my situation.  
Hope everyone else is enjoying their summers!  Talk to soon!

"Many The Miles"~Sara Bareilles

Lots to catch up on!  So here we go...

DAY 17....Today goes to my Daisies.  I traveled with the crew to go to Busch Gardens on Sunday and Great Wolf Lodge on Monday.  GWL is an indoor water park/lodge.  I was actually able to go into the park as long as I stayed away from any fast moving water (i.e. the wave pool, surfing area, and there is a part that dumps 1000 gallons of water every 5 minutes...stayed away from that area)  I even got out to about mid-calf in some of the waters to play with my girls.  We had such a good time, and I was so excited to be able to see their faces as the played and had a good time with each other.

DAY 18....Today goes to work.  I started working back at my old job doing new billing stuff.  I have a place that is quiet and I can work without a lot of distractions.   Its a great start at working again.  I'm building my confidence back, and feeling like I'm accomplishing something besides sitting around gaining weight haha.  I'm back with my girls who always keep me relaxed and laughing.  So far my stress level is low and I'm doing well with it.  I'm excited to have my spot back :-)

DAY 19....Today goes to sleep.  (sorry no pics)  I slept most of today.  I had to catch up from the weekend and I finally started feeling more human by the night time.  I really needed the sleep, I was starting to feel really not good because of the exhaustion.  I'm feeling better though now and that's all that matters.

DAY 20...Today goes to catching up. I've been able to renew my driver's license, my car registration (both due the month I was born), clean house since I've finally got time around my house and now updating my blog.  It's been so crazy around here, I feel like I don't recognize my house at this point.  I've had to catch up on all my bills and everything this week to make sure I haven't forgotten anything.  My normal organization has been thrown out of whack this week with moving things around for the party.  So now I just need to get my life back on track at home....so on to my next project.

"Love Will Always Win"~Garth Brooks & Trisha Yearwood

DAY 16:  Today goes to my husband, Josh.  The man I knew I would marry since day one that I met him (I know it sounds cheesy, but its true).  We knew from the very beginning we were it for each other.  We have had really good ups and extremely bad lows, but we've stuck it out, push through the odds and made it to where we are today.  He's been my biggest support through this whole last year, pushing me where I needed to be pushed, picking me up when I couldn't get up and always had a hand against my back for support, just in case.  He's made me a better person, he's my other half.  We are polar opposites, yet there is something small that keeps us connected together and it works.  He has let me yell at him in anger over my MdDS, he's let me cry on his shoulder, and he has made me laugh when nothing else could.  
He's the best man that I could have for a father to my children.  I love watching them together.  He is their biggest fan and they are his.  He has fought off monsters under the bed and in the closets, protected Puppy (Lily's favorite little stuffed buddy) from all types of weather, fixed broken toys, help battle in video games, pretended to love Lily's favorite food she made in her kitchen, answered phone calls when no one was on the other side, and watched episodes of kids shows over and over again.  He is a wonderful father, and I couldn't have asked for anyone better.  
So thank you Josh for all that you've done.  You've always said the kids come first, me second, you last.  That you are the bottom of the totem pole, but today I want to lift you up and let you know that YOU are our everything.  Without you, there would be no Seth and Lily, and there wouldn't be who I am today.  I love you.

"Sorry For Party Rocking"~LMFAO

DAY 15:  Goes to parties.  I love parties.  I love gathering my family and friends together to have a celebration for anything.  However, when I was first diagnosed, gatherings like this were horrible for me.  The crowded rooms with tons of people, the noise levels, the streamers and balloons waving everywhere.  All of it would just add on top of all of my symptoms and make me feel worse.  
I also love to make fun cakes.  I'm no expert, however, I love being creative and in the end the kids like my cakes and that's all that matters.  When I first became diagnosed, I wasn't able to do the decorating anymore, but I've been practicing and working really hard and I was able to make my daughter's cake earlier this year and now Seth's cake yesterday.  
I enjoyed doing it, and Seth was happy.  Now his parties are all over with an now I'm onto counting down the last days of my 20s.

"Party Rock"~LMFAO

Day 14:  Today has to go to my son, Seth.  Eight years ago he came into my life screaming his head off and until his dad got him in his arms, he wouldn't stop.  He is so much like me, which in turn has us butting heads sometimes with our emotions, but he has a very caring and compassionate heart like I do as well.  
He was one of the first to see that something was wrong when I became diagnosed with MdDS.  He would notice certain things that most others wouldn't.  He would hold my hand when I had a hard time with walking on tile floors.  He would let me use him as a guide when walking down the stairs and he would always talk to me if I became extremely dizzy to the point of almost passing out.  
He's smart, funny, crazy, loving, and he's mine.  

"All Summer Long"~Kid Rock

DAY 13:  The last day of 2nd grade for Seth.  He is now officially a 3rd grade ending out the year with 4 A's and 1 B.  I couldn't be happier about these grades.  He pushed himself hard and ended up working alone some nights due to my MdDS, but he accomplished what he needed to do.  I'm so excited for him.  We celebrated at the zoo walking around looking at animals and then let the kiddos play in the fountains.  It was an extremely hot day, but the kids had fun and now everyone is home relaxing in the cool air.  Big storms are heading this way tonight, I can already feel the pressure in my head starting, but I'm going to push myself and get through it.  I'm going to keep doing what I need to do.  Today is the official start of summer for our house and we are going to have lots of fun....I'm determined :-)

"Laughing Until We Cried"~Jason Aldean

DAY 12:  Although the pic is from a couple of days ago, it showcases what I need it to.  With MdDS you have those really horrible days.  You know, those days you can't get anything done because you are literally stuck down.  Getting up and moving in any direction takes every ounce of yourself.  Those days used to get me down, and every once in awhile I have my moments of being angry and pissed and upset.  But lately, I try to laugh it off.  Yes sir, I'm plastered to the floor, what are you going to do about it?  Why yes, the ceiling does look great from this angle.  
I have such an awesome crew around me daily to help me laugh at the situation, at myself or they take my mind off it completely and make me laugh at them.  You have those moments of did you really just do that? did you really just say that? and just laugh hard.  
I watched an episode of Ellen a while back when she had Kelly Pickler and Derek Hough from Dancing with The Stars.  They were talking about tough times in the studio and when it became too intense they would laughing yoga.  (The video won't add, but if you want to see it just YouTube "Derek & Kellie new ab workout laughing yoga")  But anyways... I thought...HOW GENIUS!  Because you can't help but start cracking up at yourself.  It's brilliant.  So on those bad days just laugh at yourself.  It makes it better, and if you can't laugh at yourself, have someone help you, I'm sure they'll find something about you to laugh at :0)