A New Beginning

We have moved again. Our home is always where ever the military sends us but some times I just wish they would send us home to Texas. We have landed at Hill AFB in Utah this time and are very happy with it. Life here is different but we are adjusting.

So much has changed but through it all we have grown as a family. I can not wait to reboot this blog and share our lives with everyone.

Playdough

Alex and Dallas love to swim and we always spend our summer doing swimming lessons and playing at the pool. They are both little fish and I can not keep them out of the water. Our very last day at swimming a small little white dog came up to us. He was starving, covered in mud and ticks, and had nails that would wrap around my finger. It broke my heart, but I did have some hope. He had rabies tags on. 

A short call to the vet and we had his last known phone number and his name. It was Arabic and so a Google search was needed. His name translated to "Child of Allah". Yup. 

I spent the next two day tracking down his owners. It proved difficult since no one spoke English and I do not anything else. Finally we received a phone call. His owners had been found. They told us to "take him to the pound", "throw him back out on the streets", or "do whatever." 

DO WHATEVER??? How could someone be so heartless? We decided to keep him and try to help him find his forever home. We had already bathed him, trimmed his nails, treated him for cooties, and fallen in Love. 

We looked into rescues and talked to others about a possible placement for him. Nothing felt right. Alex had fallen in love with him and they had become best friends. He was unlike any other Chihuahua I had ever seen. He loved kids. He never tried to bite anyone. He was house trained. And he loved Alex. 

Alex named him Playdough and we decided the sweet boy was going to stay. He has been micro-chipped and neutered. I never thought I would own a Chihuahua but I just love this little guy. He is a huge part of our family now!

My life is changing......

And I really like where it is going.

I have always worked with animals and I don't want to do anything else. The military has been a wonderful decision for my family, but, for me, it has been detrimental to my career and dreams. We have been stationed in New Mexico for 8 of our 10 years in the military. It has been a great place to raise a family and it allows us the opportunity to see Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins- Something most military brats never have. For me it means being a stay at home Mom which is something I NEVER wanted to do. Looking back on the last few years I am so thankful God knew what I needed and did not listen to my tear filled prayers. I still miss working and having a life away from this little corner lot. I miss my animals. I miss having a reason to get up every morning other than the dishes in the sink or laundry on the floor.

A few months ago I was presented with an opportunity to help a cute little dog. (That story will follow soon.) Working with Shooke Unleashed has been a blessing and I feel like I have something just for myself. I am fostering dogs for the rescue who need someone to just love them and teach them how to be part of a family. It is very challenging but so rewarding. We currently have 6 dogs in our home - four are our forever babies and two are here until they get into a different rescue or find their forever homes.

Another new and scary development is with my health. I have fought anemia for years and most doctors just wave me out the door with yet another prescription for iron pills that make me sick. I have fought for a referral to a hematologist for years with no luck. Being anemic was not something they thought needed a referral. I was 'only' tired. I just needed to eat better. RIGHT!! I am so tired all the time. I fall asleep doing the dishes. I can not go anywhere alone because I am afraid I will fall asleep while driving. I don't want to work in the yard. I can't play with my children. Everything requires energy and I just do not have it in me.

I finally have a hematologist and I love him. "Dr. Mac" is wonderful. I met with him yesterday and I have Hope. Hope is a wonderful thing! My iron is so low he was amazed I was able to function at all. I am short THREE units of blood and I have almost no Iron in my body. He spend an hour with me just talking and explaining what my lack of iron really means and how he will help me fix it. I will start IV Iron next week at our local Cancer Center and will need at least 4 treatments. After that will come the many tests to find out where I am loosing blood and putting a stop to it. It could be as simple as my monthly cycle, which would mean a hysterectomy , or something in my digestive track that would require surgery and on going treatment. I am ready to start my treatment and Dr. Mac believe I will start to feel better within hours of getting my first IV. Can you believe that? All it will take is 30 minutes once a week and I will feel better. I am so thankful!

So with that I am starting writing here again. I have Hope. I am not better yet but now I have a plan.

July 2, 2013 - Playing Catch Up

I am still here. Life is going on like normal. Well, sort of.

David came home from his deployment after only 5 weeks due to an injury during training. I am so glad to have him home but he is really upset that he is not with his team. But I don't really care. David is home!  :)  He is having surgery this month and he could deploy again this fall.

His early return through all my plans out the window. I did not plant as much as I normally do since the boys and I don't really eat a lot when he is gone. So I have empty planter beds just waiting for the late summer planting for this fall. The flowers are growing wild and crazy - the way I like them. I know it drives David nuts but I don't really want to tame them.

So today I am going to play catch up. Lots of pictures to show everyone what my garden looks like today. Weeds and All.

The Front Yard and Rock Garden:

 

 

 

6 May 2013

Our weather has been crazy today. We started out with a slow rain that we need so very much and now we have high winds and sunshine. It isn't a great gardening day. I am stuck inside making bread and cleaning house. Not what I want to do on a Spring Day.

I do have a couple of flowers that are trying to brighten up my day!

 

 

 

Light Pole

We have a plain light pole in our front yard. It really bothered me to have a metal pole just sitting in the yard. I came up with a plan to add a little interest to the pole and to hopefully make it a little more attractive. I found a pot at Lowe's and had David cut the bottom out for me. It slid over the pole and looks great. 

 

The empty pot just waiting for some potting soil and flowers.

Unfortunately, we had a freeze after I filled it with flowers. I tried to cover it but our winds were just too much. So I have to replant a few of the flowers, but I don't really mind. I just like having another place to have flowers.

I still have to paint the light fixture but I think it already looks better!