I am tired

Lately I have been tired. Not just a little tired but exhausted, deliriously tired.

I had a sleep study done almost a year ago and got a CPAP machine to keep me breathing while I sleep. Last December I met with my sleep doc for a follow up and he felt the mask I was using with my CPAP was not working well enough for me and suggested I get a different kind. So, of course I did.

OMG that thing was like waterboarding and I hated it. Because doc said to, I tried and tried to use it. No matter what I did, I could not keep it on all night. I would take it off without even waking up to do it. I was sleeping like crap.

We all know what happens when you don't sleep we'll for a couple of days, right? Well turn that into a couple of months. I could hardly get out of bed in the mornings. I stopped going to the gym, I was just too tired. I fell asleep in the car, not by choice like I usually do. (don't worry, not while driving) I was falling asleep at my desk while trying to work. Basically if I was not moving, I was sleeping. My work was suffering. My family suffered. My house suffered. My brain felt like I was in a constant fog. I would forget what I was doing in the middle of doing it. Forget what I was saying. I am honestly surprised I could function at all.

Well after another trip to the good doctor, I am back to using my original mask and sleeping much better at night. He also gave me some meds to take on days I might not have slept too well and am falling asleep all day.

So far, I am doing so much better! I feel better. I am more active. I want to go work out. I want to be busy doing something all the time.

Now if I could get the weird ass dreams to stop so I can really sleep, all will be great. I don't just dream little happy go lucky peaceful wake up and they are forgotten dreams. Nothing so normal for me. I dream in full on 3D living color with theater surround sound. I live and breathe my dreams. I am an active participant and can most of the time control them, change them and determine the outcome, change things I don't like. I experience them. I feel them. I used to act them out.

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As you can imagine this does not lead to a very restful night even with the CPAP. It actually seems like the CPAP makes the dreaming worse. Instead of waking myself up and interrupting the dreams, I am staying asleep and continuing to dream. It is exhausting. That is where the new meds come in and help.

Anyway. I wanted to post and let my readers (all 5 of you lol) know why I haven't been posting lately. Hopefully I can get back in the blog saddle now and post more.

It is getting late so I'm going to bed. Because, well, I'm tired. Good night

Successful Weekend

I am glad to call this past weekend a roaring success. Friday night Zero and I picked up the twins after work and went grocery shopping that should have been done a week before. We spent less than our budget allowed and got to spend some time with the twins because Steph went out with a friend.

Saturday morning I got up and went to meet Jen at the Gym. Yes you read that right. I intentionally got up early and went to the gym. Man it was tempting to cancel. I had so many good excuses and thought of many many more on the way there. I tried to convince Steph to go with me to push me more but she wasn't quite down with getting up early on a Saturday. So I met Jen and we walked the treadmill for about 15 minutes, did a round in the Ladies Fitness area (where I actually pushed myself with weight amounts) and then did the elliptical, also known as the machine of death. I try to avoid that particular machine because I am very uncoordinated. But Jen convinced me to at least try it and I did a solid 5 minutes. I have plans to go to the gym again tonight with Zero after work. Think I'll try the elliptical again and see if I can pull out a good 10 minutes.

On my way to the gym, I passed by a local carpet store and noticed they were having a sale. Since we need despirately to redo our bathroom floor I stopped to look around. I found some remenant vinyl that I liked for $40.00 that is big enough to do either my bathroom or kitchen. Both rooms are pretty small. I thought it a good deal for $40.00.

Because it was such a beautiful day, there were TONS of yard sales everywhere. Zero and I decided to grab the kids and go hit a few just to see what they had. In reality, we were both procrastinating getting started on yard work LOL. We had about $60.00 in cash so we went. For less than $50.00 we got Steph a book she wanted, the twins each an adorable new (looked brand new) purse, me a picture frame set that is now filled with beach pictures, a toy for the twins, a digital camera (turned out it didn't work but the battery does and it fits Steph's camera so no loss), a organizing shelf thingy for the twins room, and a couch & chair set for the living room. Ours was horrible and really really really needed replacing. It's not new but it was in good shape. Pretty good haul for $50.00 I think.

Once we got home we of course had to bring in the new furniture, out with the old and rearrange the living room. We ate dinner and then got a wild hair up our butts to go cut grass. We had about an hour left of good daylight so that's what we did. Two lawn mowers and Steph on the hedge trimmer we got out and got most of the front yard cut. Including a section that was really high because it's been too wet to cut. (We have a HUGE yard so we do it in sections.) Afterwards we showered and watched The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Weird movie.

Sunday wasn't quite as productive. We worked in the back yard a good bit of the day and got about half of it cut, and half of that is a lot. The twins cleaned up in the house and did laundry. The ozone level was high and I did not want them outside. They did a good job inside though so it worked out well.

All in all, a good weekend. Very productive for us. Hopefully will lead into a good week too.

~Toodles

Skirt!

Skirt! is a national women's magazine....."all about women...their work, play, families, creativity, style, health and wealth, bodies and souls....skirt! is an attitude." There is Skirt! National and then there are publications of Skirt! in various cities throughout the country. A vast majority of the content on the websites is submitted by random women from all over, covering all age group. There are blogs, articles, microblogging, etc. They also do monthly features in the magazine: "She's so Skirt!", "He's so Original", and "24/7 with..." where they focus on local women and men and the things they do every day that make them and the world great.

In April my wonderful husband nominated me to be a local Shero and to be featured in June's Skirt! publication. I had my photo taken, answered some quesitons and basically told them how great I am and why I'm so great. I don't really enjoy the spotlight and dont think I do anything all that amazing, wonderful or special but Jason does so I went along with it. If you're interested in seeing the article.....go here.

Orange Beach!

The view from our hotel room at the beautiful Island House Hotel in Orange Beach. I highly recommend it for a family vacation. Every room has a balcony with this excellent view.

First trip to the beach.

Riding the waves. I think they were trying to practice to be surfers.

My little water baby in the hotel pool.

Pool

Got my pictures mixed up when I was uploading this morning, oh well. Look how clear and clean that water is. This is why I think Alabama has the most beautiful beaches in the US!

Dolphin Cruise Pt. 2

Kaitlyn brought her "bo-naculars" so she could be sure to check out and see everything.

Isabella enjoying the view.

Patiently waiting for the boats to load up and head out. Okay some not quite so patient. Kaitlyn was freaking out just a little bit about going out on the water. She loved it at the end though.

Stephanie & Kaitlyn. These kids belong on a boat somewhere!

Dolphin Cruise

We decided to take a dolphin cruise.
We've always wanted to and never have so we decided now is the time.
It was amazing!

Obviously the kids LOVED it!

Specially Ms. Dolphin Queen here.

Beach!

Last weekend as a graduation gift we took the family to Orange Beach Alabama for the weekend. The absolute best beach in the world.

Sunrise. I missed it by a little but still. 6:00 a.m.

Sunset from the dolphin cruise boat.

The girls.



The family.

Graduation Class of 2009

Well, it's official. Our baby is a high school graduate. She graduated last Thursday night and we are so proud of her. Our county does not do valedictorians anymore but instead, all kids with a 4.0 are considered first in their class and get the honor of walking before everyone else, Stephanie marched 6th out of her class of 200 or so. There were only 14 Honor Graduates this year and she was one of them. She received special recognition at graduation and at awards night.

• Honor Graduate - Gold Stole & Metal to wear at graduation. Given for maintaining a 4.0 or higher through all 4 years of high school.
• National Honor Society - White Stole & Metal to wear at graduation.
• Presidential Excellence award - Certificate signed by the President & a pin.
• Greensboro Scholarship given by Birmingham Southern College - $12k per year x 4 years
  
• Excellence in Advanced Placement Anatomy
• Photography Student of the year.
• She also got to paint a brick in her Advanced Placement Calculus class for getting an A.

People keep asking us if we're sad because she's graduating and growing up and all that stuff. Flat out, no we are not sad. We are happy. Not because she's growing up. But because she is growing up into such an outstanding young lady. We are overflowing with joy at her achievements. We are proud of her determination and drive. She sets goals and reaches them. And we are proud of ourselves. She could not have gotten here without good parents behind her. Her growing up does not mean that our job is done. There is still more for her to do, more for her to learn and accomplish. I signed on for life, not just 18 years or until graduation from high school. Not only is graduation her reward for a job well done, it's ours as well.

In September she will be starting her Freshman year at Birmingham Southern College. She is so excited already. We received a class list about a week or so ago and she was just beside herself with the classes she has the opportunity to take. She does not view them as classes she "has to take", instead, she views them as classes she "gets to take."

Congratulations baby!!!! We are so proud of you every day!