Category Archives: Family

Coffee, Domestic Engineer, Family, Friends, Photos, Piper

Every Day Is Yours To Win

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2015-08-18 09.11.40

The photo above is the view from my back porch. Do you see how the sun casts sort of a glow over the deck? Or is that just me? I took the photo this morning. Our house faces east, so the back porch is still cool from the night air as the sun is rising on the other side, and under the gazebo there is a nice breeze. So this is where I have come to love sitting in the morning (granted, it’s only Day Two), with my coffee and Bible, while Piper runs around the yard or rolls in the grass. When she’s done with that nonsense, she comes and lies down at my feet. It’s lovely. Just lovely. We are so blessed with this new home.

And if that wasn’t enough, we have some really awesome neighbors. All of them. Really. They even have a private Facebook page they use to keep in touch with each other. So while we’ve done some chatting with them leading up to the day we moved in, today we actually got to meet several of them. In fact, when people started getting home from their respective jobs, they seemed  anxious to meet us and say hello. The woman from across the street walked over to say hi, and we discovered we both have sons named Luke. A lady from the end of the street stopped at our driveway as she was leaving the neighborhood, and I was able to meet her and her son (whom I found had already met Luke yesterday). Then after Mike came home we met the man who lives next door to us, as well as his wife and two kids. It’s amazing how friendly these people are. We had heard this was a great neighborhood, but now we’re experiencing it and finding it to be absolutely true.

Oh, and get this – there are at least three other couples on the block whose first names start with the same letter, just as mine and Mike’s do (Mike and Mindy). There are the S’s next door, the D’s across the street, and another set of M’s further down. I love alliteration, I really do. What can I say? I’m a geek, all the way.

The unpacking is moving along. Throughout each day there is a constant feeling that I’m about to hit a wall, but I haven’t actually done it yet. I figure if I just go slow, then even if I do hit that wall, I won’t break anything. Just in theory, of course. I am developing some killer calf muscles, going up and down the stairs. But overall, life is good here and we feel pretty well settled. We have internet now, toilet paper, milk. You know, the necessities.

And here is where my brain is shutting down for the night, whether I like it or not. Good night!

Family, Holidays, Multiple Sclerosis, Photos

Independence Day 2015

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wpid-20150704_220508.jpgI had a weekend to remember. Yes, it was the Fourth of July, which has always been a favorite of mine, but this one was my best yet. The kids played, the husband caught up on yard work and relaxed, and I enjoyed being a part of it all.

Saturday we went up to “The Lake” with Grandpa, for dinner and fireworks. The Lake (which probably has a name, but I don’t know it) is actually man-made, with permanent campsites set up all around it. Grandpa’s friends have campers/cabins up there, so we go every year. It’s actually pretty cool. The people travel within the park by walking, biking, or driving golf carts. And you have to be 16 to drive a golf cart, but you are NOT required to have a driver’s license. I think. Anyway, golf carts don’t go very fast so they let me drive one! All the way around the lake! I was too nervous to do it alone so I had Mike riding shotgun, while the kids rode in the back. And it was wonderful. I haven’t driven in close to 2 years, and I really miss the independence of it, so this was a gift to me. To be in the driver’s seat, pushing the pedal, steering the wheel, with the wind in my hair and the sunshine on my face. In short, it made my day.

Actually, that’s not true. Although, if that’s all it was, it would have definitely made my day. But there’s more.

Natalie and I were at the camp playground, swinging on the swings, when Luke came running up to us and shouted, “They accepted it! They accepted our offer!” See, we had just put an offer on a new house and were still waiting to hear from the seller. Yup. We’re buying a new house, y’all. There are still some details to take care of, but my understanding is that it’s all normal stuff and shouldn’t cause any issues. We bought our current home from my mother-in-law, easy peasy, so this home buying process is new to us. However, we have been praying A LOT through every step of the way, and that has really made all the difference.

I’m excited about this house. We all are. It has a beautiful yard, with a deck, gazebo (great for shade!), a shed, and a firepit. The house is two-story, but the bedrooms and laundry are all on the same floor. If I have an MS relapse in the future and have trouble walking, there are bathrooms on every floor, so I’ll always be able to relieve myself. The stairs were definitely an issue we considered. We really thought hard and prayed about the stairs, because I do have MS, and there is always that possibility that one day my legs won’t work. But I really felt God telling me to trust Him, and not to make this decision out of fear. Mike agreed, so we went for it. The house is located in a fantastic school district, a great neighborhood, is still in the range of Spec-Tran (my ride service), and we discovered that some friends I used to volunteer with live just down the road! So I believe all of those positive attributes outweigh the “what-if” factor of my MS. This is going to be a good change for our family. A big change, but a good one.

Now we just need to sell the house we’re in, which will be another new adventure for us!

Family, Food

Kitchen Disasters

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I am a disaster in the kitchen. My dad passed all his chefly talents to my sister and brother, and gave none to me. For years I have managed, sticking mostly to simple meals and the occasional baked goods. However, it seems that ever since I lost a considerable portion of my vision, I have taken a turn for the worst. During that time of visual downturn in the fall of 2013, I was “checked out” for awhile, and it seems I haven’t fully checked back in. I lost a crucial brain cell or two.

For example, last weekend we were having friends over for dinner. I was excited to make one of our favorites, penne sausage marinara. I had the dish mostly prepared ahead of time, so I only had a few simple steps left. I assembled the dish for baking, put it into the oven, and set the timer for 30 minutes. Thirty minutes later the timer went off and to my dismay, the cheese on top had not yet melted. My intelligent friend thought to investigate by sticking her hand in the oven. It was cold. Seems when I had thought about preheating the oven, I had not followed through. The next time someone tells you “it’s the thought that counts”, I assure you it is untrue. Actions, my friends, actions are what count. Doing the thing you thought about doing, like actually turning on the f-ing oven, are what count.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, “well, that’s not such a big deal. You didn’t mess it up, you just delayed it a bit.” Don’t worry, I have more.

So then there was the time I decided to try a new recipe for meatloaf (my son’s favorite). Word to the wise, always read a recipe in it’s entirety before you start. I was so gung-ho about trying this new recipe, I just started throwing everything in to mix with the ground beef. Yet as soon as I dropped the brown sugar and mustard in, I had a second thought. I checked the recipe (with my clean hand, the other covered in raw meat, eggs, and brown sugar) and discovered that what I had used as a meatloaf seasoning was actually meant to be the topping. That day I cried. I felt completely inept, that I couldn’t even prepare a simple, classic dish. But! Mike consoled me, told me it would be fine, and insisted I bake the loaf just as it was. And we did, and it was delicious. A little too moist, but still delicious.

Then there was the time I made what my sister and I like to call “Amazeballs Chicken.” It’s chicken breast stuffed with roasted red peppers, spinach, and goat cheese. It’s divine. The trick is to sear it in the pan then bake it, pan and all, in the oven. The problem with that is that my brain is used to holding pans while they are on the stove, which does not require an oven mitt. So when the chicken was done baking, I made the extremely painful mistake of trying to remove the pan from the oven, sans oven mitt. That was a painful mistake, one I had hoped never to repeat.

Sometimes hoping is not enough.

Just last week I had a friend over for lunch. I made a frittata, which is the easiest fancy sounding dish I know how to make. Of course, I make it because it’s delicious, not because I like fancy food. In order to make a frittata, you first do a lot of the cooking on the stovetop, but you leave the food in the pan and finish the cooking in the oven. (Do you see where I’m going with this?) Of course I wasn’t going to make the same mistake this time. This time I was sure to wear the oven mitt when I pulled the pan out of the oven. However, it seems I turned my brain off after I set the pan down. Not three seconds after I took off the oven mitt, I proceeded to move the pan inwards, away from the edge. With my bare hand. I cursed, multiple times. I ran to the freezer to cool it down as quickly as possible, but it was burned pretty good. I had to hold an ice pack on it well into the evening.

I didn’t make it to ASL class that night.

Have you had enough? I have one more. This just happened this week. We had some over-ripe bananas sitting on the counter, just begging to be baked into bread. So I started mixing the eggs and sugar and vanilla, and then had the genius idea to add cinnamon for an extra kick. So I grabbed the spice jar from the cupboard and started dumping it into the batter, while the batter was mixing (love my Kitchen-Aid). As I poured it into the batter, I realized that it felt much different than the consistency of cinnamon. It was not so much like a powder, but more like… crushed red pepper. Not the extra kick I was looking for! All that batter, down the drain. Thankfully, I had not yet added the bananas, and could try again another day.

So maybe I ought to just shake these off and call it bad luck, but it’s not that simple for me. I can’t work outside the home. My identity used to be wrapped up in my job and my education. In the fall of 2013, I lost all that, but was given something greater in return. I’m a homemaker now. I have a renewed focus and appreciation for my husband and my kids, and I strive to be the best at what I CAN do. Those nights I screw up making a meal, I start to feel like I can’t even do that, but then my husband comes and wraps his arms around me and tells me he’s proud of me, and appreciates all that I do.

It’s my family that keeps me going, and if it weren’t for them, there wouldn’t be a fresh loaf of banana bread (with cinnamon!) cooling on the stove as I type. I can’t wait to share it with them 🙂

Family, Food

It’s Mom and Dad’s birthday!

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Today was my birthday. It was also my husband’s birthday (he’s one year older). I am now 37. I know once you’re in your late thirties, birthdays aren’t such a big deal anymore (heck, anything after 21 is pretty dull), but I still like to make a big deal of it. Because what better chance do you have to celebrate your life? Not to mention our kids think it’s pretty neat that they get to celebrate both parents’ birthdays on the same day.

My son and I have a mutual love for all things breakfast, and he is caring and thoughtful so he asked me what I wanted for breakfast on my birthday (kids also happened to have a scheduled day off today). I told him one of my favorites is waffles with whipped cream and strawberries, so he excitedly declared he was going to fix breakfast for me. Eggo waffles are easy to make in the toaster, and he assured me he could cut the strawberries all by himself. And sure enough, at 7 am this morning he was waking me up to eat. We had a little trouble with the whipped cream canister, but it was still delicious. And the smile on his face was priceless. It gave him so much joy, to be able to do something all by himself. For me. What a kid. I am so blessed.

The kids and I pretty much relaxed most of the day, with the exception of our trip to the Secretary of State. I needed to apply for a state ID card and cancel my driver’s license. That didn’t go quite as well as expected, as I had to go back home and get my birth certificate, but it still went better than it could have. Once I was there with the proper documents, it was a quick process. They took my money and my picture, and sent me on my way. I’m glad to have that done. No more valid driver’s license for me.

Since it’s also my husband’s birthday, I wanted to be sure to do something special for him too. The plan was to make his favorite dinner, penne sausage marinara. It was delicious, as usual, and we have plenty of leftovers for tomorrow’s lunches.

Yesterday I had a doctor’s visit, and tomorrow I have another one, so it was nice to have this one day in between to break up the monotony. It was definitely a day of celebration here. Another year in the books. A rough year, but we made it through. I look forward to the next one, and have high hopes that it will involve lots more relaxing than the past.

Coffee, Domestic Engineer, Family, Food, Friends, Housekeeping, Piper, Writing

My Comfy Writing Spot

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Not sure what to write about, but I’m in my little comfy spot in the kitchen. In the corner next to the window, surrounded by shelves and with Piper puppy sleeping peacefully in her crate at my feet. And hot coffee at the ready, of course.

The exciting point of my day may be when the mail is delivered, but probably not. I already received what I was waiting for, which is the Spec-Tran approval I blogged about last night.

When I’m bored like this it’s nice to goof around on Facebook. A friend announced she found the best granola, so of course that sparked a lengthy comment thread. The food posts always do.

This has been a wonderfully uneventful week so far, which I much appreciate after last week. Last week was brutal. All the sickness and the cold. Kids home for the better part of the week, which I should love, but.. I was (am) feeling pretty fatigued. And throw a four-month old puppy into the mix? Just a little more than I can handle. And now hubby sounds like he is developing what we all had. That was inevitable, I suppose.

So when life has slowed down what do I do? I nap, first and foremost, but then when I feel mostly rested I clean. Dishes, laundry, floors, etc. It’s all never-ending. Meaning you are never “done” with laundry or dishes or cleaning floors. These are things that are constantly in progress.  Once I realized that fully, I stopped putting them on my to-do-list. It seemed silly to keep crossing them off only to put them back on again. So now my to-do list consists of more irregular things like paying bills and clipping my toenails.

I would really like to get back to writing that book. The process (which honestly hadn’t really begun) got halted when we all fell ill. And now I need to get back at it. To be honest, I feel extremely inadequate at this whole book-writing-thing. Am I even doing it right? I’m just writing, hoping it turns into something I can have published so that people can read it. But publishing, well that’s a road I have not traveled and have no clue how to find. Yet. Let’s write the book first. And this corner spot in my kitchen is the perfect place for it.  As long as Piper complies, I could make this a daily ritual. Sitting here, sipping my coffee, tapping away at the keys. That sounds like a Happy Place if you ask me.

Now, enough rambling for me. I will let you go. I have words to write!

Family, God speaks, Kids, Parenting

Parenting with grace, and do-overs

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Last night the local Parks and Recreation held a daddy/daughter dance. Mike and Natalie were signed up to go. They were both pretty excited about it, and I was excited for them.

And then, our daughter decided to “accidentally” steal two cell phones from the adults at school (one teacher, one parent).

Part of her punishment was that she would not be attending the dance with her dad. And that broke our hearts. It would have been lovely, getting them all dressed up for a real date. Daddy and his precious little girl. She was devastated to learn they would not be going, and we were too. We want to do nice things for our children, and to make memorable experiences. But not at the expense of teaching them they can get away with lying, stealing, or cheating.

I believe this is a lesson – an experience – Natalie will remember for years to come. Of course as a parent you would rather your children  only have warm, fuzzy memories of childhood, but that doesn’t necessarily prepare them for life on their own out in the real world, does it? They will have it all: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

I know there are a million worse things, but right now this feels like the ugly. This morning I saw other dads had posted pictures with their daughters, all dolled up and ready for the dance. My heart broke all over again.

We want to bless our children. We want to give them good things. But when they go and make mistakes like lying or stealing, they ruin it for themselves, don’t they?

This is not a new concept. This theme, this story, has been occurring over and over and over again, since the very beginning of time. Ever hear of Adam and Eve? Wow. God had so much to give them. They were living in paradise. No worries, not a care in the world. God looked forward to blessing them. He wanted so badly to give them good things.

And then they listened to that damn snake.

I think I now have an inkling of what God was feeling at that moment. His heart was broken, just as mine is over my daughter stealing. Dang it girl, why did you have to go and do that? You would have had such a wonderful time at that dance. I’m just heartbroken. And angry. But angry FOR her, not AT her. It’s an anger that comes from a place of deep, deep love. Wanting to give her good things. Just like our Father God. He wants to give us good things, good experiences, and it breaks His heart when we screw it up.

But! We get second chances, and thirds, and fourths, and so on. God’s grace is endless. I am so grateful for that. Do-overs are the best! In fact, we decided to give Natalie a do-over. We are giving her the chance to earn a night out at the movies with her second favorite person: Momma.

Family

TMI, really

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Where do I begin? I have been writing this blog post in my head for the last three days, but now I don’t know where to start. Let’s just say I’m channeling my inner Gilda Radner lately – “It’s always something!”

Seriously. It’s Tuesday night, and already it’s one of the worst weeks I’ve had in a long time. Comical, in hindsight. At least, I hope so, because what follows here for you lovely readers is a recap of all the crap that has gone down in Mindy’s world for the last three days. So yes, this whole post will basically be one Long Whine, but hopefully a comical one. I know I’m almost laughing. Almost.

WARNING: If you are squeamish about women and their girly issues, just stop reading. This post is not for you.

It starts with  Sunday night. Super Bowl Sunday. We stayed in and watched the game at home, while the kids went across the street to join the neighbors for their Super Bowl party. I had been having some trouble throughout the day, increasing pain with urination. I am no stranger to this pain, as I had lots of urinary tract infections (UTIs) as a child, and even some in adulthood. I have a high pain tolerance, but this is a special kind of pain that cannot be tolerated. First of all, it’s in the most sensitive area possible. And now that I’m reliving it, I remember that it actually started Sunday morning, around 3 am, and kept me awake and UP (because it’s unbearable to SIT with something akin to razor blades in your hoo-ha) until around 7 am when I was finally able to lie down and sleep.

The pain became more bearable throughout Sunday so I hoped it was getting better. By game time, I realized it was not. So around half-time, Mike dutifully drove to the pharmacy – in a snow storm, no less – to buy some AZO. Oh, and the snow storm meant that Monday would not be a day of rest for me as the kids would be home. I really look forward to my Mondays. They are kind of like a working woman’s Saturday. And this one was especially coveted because we had a full and busy weekend of floor hockey, pinewood derby races, and time with friends. All that, piled on top of MS fatigue and anemia, and the UTI: yes, to say I needed a break was an understatement.

Monday came, and I thought I had it covered. I had a lot I thought I needed to get done, but almost all of it could wait another day. It was going fine. The kids were occupied, and the puppy was cooperating (mostly), I think I even managed to feed myself. And then Aunt Flo decides to show up early. Because I just didn’t have enough going on. I was beside myself. Nearly in tears. How on earth was I going to keep up with the kids and the dog while I’m a mess?

I don’t know how I made it, but I did, and everything was fine. My mom, who lives in Oklahoma, had a pizza delivered to our house so I didn’t have to worry about lunch. Piper slept in her crate and Grandpa took the kids sledding, so I was able to take a nap. I survived Monday, and looked forward to Tuesday, a full day of rest and recovery.

And then they declared another snow day.

Tuesday, today, started off with a bang. Mike trying to get ready for work, kids and puppy running around, THREE puddles of pee to clean up, and me a bloody mess, all before 8 am. It gets better. By 10 am the house was running smoothly until I went downstairs to do laundry. That’s when my daughter called down needing help because there was “too much water and pee in the toilet and now it’s all over the floor!” Needless to say, the bathroom got cleaned today.

So, I don’t know. I guess it felt worse than it sounds, but we had some issues with Luke as well. The boy can’t seem to focus on a task and do what he’s told. Which is frustrating on its own, but feels unbearable when coupled with ungodly pain, overflowing toilets, and all varieties of messes to clean up.

My New Year’s Resolution to not yell? Epic fail these last two days. Tomorrow is a new day, a fresh start, and it’s right around the corner. Thank you Jesus, praise the Lord.

Cochlear implant, Deafness, Domestic Engineer, Family, Friends

Thursday Thoughts On “Normally” and Group Gatherings

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This week I had planned for things to return to “normal”, or a feeling of it at least. I’ll tell you how the week went and you can be the judge:

1) “Normally” I walk the kids to the bus stop. This week it was far too cold to make them walk, so Dad drove them on all but one day. (Walking through the snow really works those leg muscles!)

2) I “normally” eat breakfast, drink my coffee, and work on household chores after returning from the bus stop. This week I took a lot of back-to-bed “naps”, stretching my coffee and meals far into the afternoons.

3) I “normally” Skype with my mom every day. I was lucky to get in one conversation with her today (it was her birthday, so of course).

4) I “normally” have meals planned and grocery lists prepared for my husband every week. This week I had to throw it together at the last minute.

5) I “normally” feel like writing things that people want to read. Something about watching this puppy for “potty cues” keeps me on edge, and I haven’t felt any inspiration to write. I did write one paragraph for my book though. Actually, two, but the second one is only three words so it probably doesn’t count.

Oh, but tomorrow. I have a gang of girlfriends coming over to eat dinner and knit and crochet, and chat up a storm – though I know that won’t be like old times because I can only follow one person talking at a time. I’m excited to see everyone and am thrilled to be able to open up my home for this event. Even if I can’t follow all the conversations, it will be great to see everyone having a good time. Group gatherings are an area that I immediately started avoiding when I lost my hearing, so it has taken quite a bit of courage for me to step back into these situations. The fact that it’s in my home certainly helps, but also these are dear friends of mine who I know are sympathetic to my new challenges. I have wonderful friends.

So Friday night should be some good times. Saturday we have a belated family Christmas gathering, and Sunday I may possibly have a date with my husband. Then the kids have a couple full days and a half day off from school the next week. All that to say, “normally” is out the window. Forget normal, let’s just have fun!

Family

Hot and cold and hot again

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Our furnace is working at the moment, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed. It had shut down again, so the men have been stuck in the basement tinkering with it for yet another day. Our friend, an expert in this subject, says it’s acting wonky, and he still isn’t confident that it will hold. We might end up having to replace the whole dern furnace. But, since it’s Saturday night, and suppliers for this kind of thing aren’t open, the only thing we can do is wait. So we are enjoying the balmy 68 degrees in our house right now, with our fingers crossed. Luke is sleeping in his boxers, I’m sitting in my recliner in shorts and a t-shirt, and the dog is no longer huddled desperately under Mike’s feet (instead she’s sprawled out near them).

At 10 pm I was remarking to Mike that I couldn’t believe it was only Saturday. It just feels like the longest weekend ever, and we still have a day to go. I’m just praying it’s a less stressful day. One can hope.