Date Night and Weekend activites

Yesterday Grandma and Grandpa took the kids for the evening. The weather was super nice and so we decided to take a drive up to Grafton and enjoy the weather and the river. We stopped at the loading dock for some drinks and nachos. We then went to the Grafton Winery for the sunset, drinks and dinner.
   While at dinner I was taking some pictures of the sunset and a lady came up to us and told us what a cute couple we were and asked to take our pictures for us.
   It was a really nice evening and one that I think Chris and I both needed. 


Before that we had Colin's last soccer game of the season. He has grown so much as a player this season. He has decided that he really likes to play defender. He has a great long kick and really good arm to throw the ball in.
 Alyssa is happy that the season is over as she didn't enjoy going to his games however she is a great big sister and would go to each game and even some practices to go for a run with Chris.

This weekend we also carved our pumpkins for Halloween. Last weekend we were able to go to a friends house and came home with 27 pumpkins so we had a nice selection to pick from for carving. We even allowed Alyssa to carve her own this year. At one point I did have to walk away because she was making me nervous but she did a great job and parts that needed help Chris was able to help her with .
Colin drew the face he wanted on the pumpkin and Chris carved it for him. I found a design online that I liked and printed it out to carve since I'm not good at drawing.
 

21 years

21 years ago today I went to a high school football game to flirt with a cute guy I had been talking to. The conversation was super awkward, however after the game we went had pizza and played mini golf.
15 years ago today that same cute guy asked me to marry him.
Our life has had many ups, downs, and middle of the roads. He has stood by my side through all of it.
We have been together through my parents divorce, both of us finishing college after we got married, me struggling with my job, me starting my own business, finishing my masters, having a very sick child and chronic pain.  Life isn't always easy and there are time we get into a rut or have some pretty yucky fights.
  However I feel that because our relationship was long distance for a good part of 5 years we have learned how to communicate better than others.
  For me it is also the reminders of the love we have for each other around the house. We have a picture from our early dating years lining our steps. On the mirror on our dresser we have an index card that lists what we admire about the other person.
 Our relationship isn't perfect, and we have learned it takes work. It is work that is worth it to have your best friend by your side helping raise the family that we have always dreamed about.

Swimming

Alyssa has decided she wanted to do swimming lessons again this fall. She is already a pretty good swimmer, however her strokes needed some work. She has thought about joining a swim team and I told her before she joined a team I wanted her strokes stronger.
  The first class she walked away angry and said she didn't want to go back. The second lesson she remembered her goggles and did much better.
   She is now to the point that she looks forward to swim. Her strokes are getting stronger and she is getting good at diving off the diving blocks.
   She has another 8 weeks of class. At that point she will decide if she is done with swim or if she wants to move up lessons to one that will get her even more ready for the swim team.

Weekends

Before kids weekends were a time to run errands and relax. Once I had kids weekends became busier, once the children got involved in activities they got super crazy.
  This weekend has been a busy one, first there was a car seat check on Saturday morning, I went straight from the check to Sam's Club for the items the daycare needed for the month.
   After Sam's Club it was off to sell popcorn for Boy Scouts in front of Lowe's for 2 hours.
   Sunday was Church, selling popcorn, soccer game, and then home for dinner. After dinner we have to fit in cello practice, homework, spelling practice as well as some work for Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts.
   Then it is time for bed and the week to start again. During the week we have two soccer practices, swim lesson, and Boy Scout meetings.
  With all the things that we have going on it makes me even more grateful for my Thursday's off. I am able to run the weekend errands, giving us a few extra free minutes on the weekend.
    I love that my children are involved in activities, it helps them make friends, keeps them active and mentally strong. Over the years the children have tried many things, some only last a season or school year, others we repeat year after year.
 

Day off

I own a daycare. A year ago I was trying to find a way to make the schedule work with the staff I had. I really didn't want to hire anyone new, yet being open 12 hours a day I was struggling. Then I came up with an idea, if everyone worked 10 hour days, I could make it work.
  I put the idea out to my staff, at first they weren't sure they wanted to work that long each day. So we decided we would try it for 6 months and see how it went. At the 6 month mark people LOVED working the 10 hour days and having a day off during the week. It also saved me because if someone had an appointment on a day that they weren't scheduled off they switched with someone who had that day off. This kept the daycare in ratio but also allowed people to take days off without using sick or vacation days.
   Thursday is my day off. I still get up early because I have to get my own children on the school bus. Usually soon after they are out the door I jump in the shower and start errands or chores around the house.
   Today I decided since last weekend was crazy and this coming weekend is pretty busy I was going to relax today. I got up and ordered the groceries for Walmart pick up. I also started laundry. I then worked on a puzzle for a bit. I did get some paper work done for work along with organizing both kids Boy Scout and Girl Scout agendas for the year, typing out their requirement lists with deadlines for us to work towards.
   I got to daycare as their buses were getting there. We then went to the Library. They both love to read and it was time to get new books. I love going to the library, the kids have gone enough they know where their favorite authors are. I allow them to browse, while I also browse for new books. According to our print out this week, we have saved $1000 by going to the library instead of buying the books.

   Before we were even out of the parking lot the children had grabbed their books and started reading.(This picture was taken while waiting for groceries, the car doesn't move until everyone has on their seat belts) We stopped on the way home to pick up the groceries and some prescriptions without even leaving the car. (What an AWESOME service!!)
   My pain was between a 5 and 7 depending on the hour and way I was moving/sitting today but I pretended it was a 4 and put on a cute top and necklace.

Tuesday

Today I woke up and pain was not my first thought. This is usually a good sign for me.
In fact I didn't take any ibuprofen until almost 2 pm today. Usually I'm taking it within minutes of getting up.
  Today however, at work within an hour of getting there I got news that sent my stress level up. This means that while my pain was under control today tomorrow will be a rough day. It always seems that the day to two days after a stressful day my pain is higher.

I run a daycare for 50 children and 12 staff. This requires a lot of movement on my part. I work with the infants, so that means being down on the floor with them as well as bending to pick up and put them down multiple times an hour. I love my job and wouldn't change it for the world, however it does make my pain worse. If a kid has a fussy day or needs more love, I put them on my hip. My hip is where the pain is, so an action like that will knock me out for an evening to a full day.

I also have two school age children. They are old enough to do things for themselves so it does make resting in the evening a little easier, however they are also old enough to be involved in scouts, soccer, swim and other social activities that take up a few nights a week. 

After today, my posts about pain are going to be intermixed with life with my business and kids.
While I want to document the pain and the struggles I work through on a daily basis, I also want to document the fun and love my life have.

PAIN-Shingles and beyond

I haven't blogged in over 2 years, but I would like to start again. This time while also documenting things going on with my family, I'm going to talk pain.

Hopefully this will help me deal as well as give others hope that they aren't alone.

March of 2015 I went to dinner, while at dinner I got a bad pain in my side. The pain increased as the night went on and I ended up in the ER. They thought my appendix was acting up but all tests came back fine so they sent me home.
Monday I went to the doctor pain was still horrible, she thought the same thing that it was my appendix and sent me back to the hospital. Again all test came back fine.
Wednesday I went back to the doctor that time I had about 10 spots running along the line that hurt. I was diagnosed with Shingles and sent home with medicine to help them go away.
The spots went away, however the pain never did. In fact the pain got worse.
I have tried every treatment, and theory to help lesson the pain. I tried chiropractor, toothpaste, fish oil, medicine, stretching and so so much more.
After about a year I went to a pain management doctor. He tried killing the nerve. I was the small percentage that instead of killing it, the nerve sensitivity was heightened. The doctor told me if I didn't want to go more invasive than that there was nothing he could do for me and dismissed me.
  After three years of pain and the crack down of opiods I went back to another pain management doctor. He tried an epidural. It didn't help. So he suggested a spinal cord stimulator.
   Since May I have been working on trying to get the stimulator. I had to have an MRI, see a physiologist, and try another medication. I went through all the steps, then my doctor changed names of clinic and had to get new insurance approval. That happened, we scheduled my surgery, then insurance came and denied it.
That is where we are right now. The doctor is fighting the insurance, however right now all I can do is wait and pray that the insurance changes their mind. 
So my blog will be about the daily battles I deal with to over come the pain.
I own my own business, I have two active children and an amazing husband.

When I wake up in the morning that is my first clue of how the day is going to go. If I wake up and the first thought in my head is WOW my side hurts, I know it is going to be a hard long day.

Today was one of those days. The second I opened my eyes the pain hit me like a ton of bricks. It was throbbing and shooting pain. I got in the shower and even the water of the shower hurt my side. I put on my loosest clothes and got ready for church.
  In church I always try to put a smile on my face, when people ask how I am I always say fine, it is too hard to describe the pain, also someone my age isn't supposed to be in that much pain. Today I did ask for prayers that insurance might change their mind.
After church I was supposed to go to the store to pick up items my business needed for the week. As I was driving the idea of lifting the items just made the pain even worse, so instead of going to the store I came home. I laid down on the couch. I knew I didn't have much time and I should get the store done yet I couldn't move. I laid there for 2 hours.
At that point I had to force myself up because both children are in scouts and today was Scout day at the local Corn Maze and we had to meet their troops there.
 Because the pain goes from my lower back and wraps around my side, pants are hard to wear so I wear lots of dresses and skirts.  This means I am walking through a corn maze with a dress on.
After 2 hours of the maze it was time to go to Girl Scout meeting, during the meeting all I could think about is going home and laying down.
As soon as I got home I went straight for my pain pills and ice pack. These are the only two things that help. The pain pills do nothing for the pain since the pain is nerve related and not muscle. However the pain pills help relax the tight muscles around the nerve and help my brain relax enough that I will be able to get a little sleep tonight.
  I will go to bed with an ice pack and hope when I wake up tomorrow my first thought isn't about pain.