Big News...sorta

We picked the ring! Yes, my handsome boyfriend and I have decided on the ring and he plans to propose soon. We feel like we're already engaged since we've set a tentative date (February 27, 2015) and we've planned so much of our future together already, so we decided we might as well make it official with a ring and all. He asked me if I'd be comfortable with him proposing in front of his family (grandma, aunt, uncle, cousins, and mom), but I (jokingly) told him it would be better with fewer people around in case I say no.  haha  Of course, there's no chance of that happening. I'm just waiting patiently now and really wishing I already had the ring on my finger.

We bought a ring, but while it was being resized we decided we were going to use a different ring. The ring we're going to use belonged to my great aunt's daughter that passed away with cancer a couple years ago. We decided it would be a great symbol of our love for our families while we build our own family.

We talked to his mom about our upcoming engagement and she shed a few tears and told us how proud she is of us for getting to know one another and taking our time with our relationship. We've dated for nearly 2 years now and plan to be engaged for around a year and a half. He's my best friend and I know without a doubt he's the one I've been waiting for. I've sent many prayers up asking God to help prepare me for the man He was preparing for me and I truly believe that I've found him. I'm looking forward to spending the rest of my days with him.

Romance, Animals, Rumors, and Family

I haven't written in quite a while (as in a couple years), so figured I'd try to start blogging a little more.

I've met a guy, we'll call him Mr. L. Mr. L and I started talking and decided to meet in person on November 26, 2011 (that's right...nearly 2 years ago). He picked me up and we had the simplest date ever....we went to Wal-Mart to look for light bulbs for his desk lamp and then to IHOP for a late supper. It was perfect for us because we got to talk and be silly and we even had our first kiss in the rain....seriously, that's the stuff fairy tales are made of. haha  After having dinner he took me home and we sat outside talking (and kissing) for what seemed like forever, then he took my hand and awkwardly asked "Will you be my girlfriend?" and I told him "Well, I certainly don't kiss my friends like that." And it was the beginning of something wonderful.  :) 

I met his mom a couple of weeks later, spent Christmas with them and have been with them just about every other weekend since then (when he's off...he works nights and I work days, which makes timing a bit tricky sometimes). We're completely happy together and have discussed marriage, but are wanting to save up some money and get some bills paid off first. It'll happen when it happens, but until then I'm completely happy just knowing he's mine.

The past couple of weeks I've re-learned the joys of living in a small town...mainly gossip. Only this time it's about me. People have been telling my mom and I that I'm engaged and about to get married. This is not true, and I'm not sure where people have heard this from since they haven't met Mr. L yet. I made a post on facebook about it and am hoping that it will end soon.

I've got chickens! Yeah, living in the middle of nowhere has perks like owning chickens, ducks, rabbits, and a goat. I gave my rabbits away and am in the process of finding the goat a new home...and hopefully the ducks. I'd like to just get back to chickens and my dogs (a dachshund and a dachshund mix). Country life also brings snakes, raccoons, possums, strays, and mice....but it will be worth it when I start collecting fresh eggs from my chickens. I have one little hen sitting on a nest of eggs that should be hatching in about a week or so. I'll post pictures of the babies.

My family is as crazy as ever. My sister's still married to the idiot. He's in and out of jail for not paying fines, but refuses to work. She should just get rid of him. My other sister is engaged to a guy that doesn't work and has warrants out for him. My youngest brother is married to a girl that doesn't want to work or take care of the house or kids....and she runs to her family anytime my brother won't do something for her (like give her money for diet pills that aren't working, or if he buys something for the kids and not for her). My other younger brother is  in jail for not paying fines...because he doesn't want to work. Lazy people never prosper.

I'm not lazy and I feel like I'm constantly falling behind on everything...student loan payment, bills, housework, yard work, etc. I'm working as  a secretary because there hasn't been any elementary teaching jobs open and I'm so dissatisfied with my job it's unbearable. I've put in so many applications to schools and day cares in the area that they're probably tired of seeing me. I've considered going back to school to add another certification (special ed would be amazing), but just don't think I can afford it right now and that bums me out.

Anywho...I'm at work, so I guess I should do a little work or something. It's weird how that's expected of you, huh? 

health update

So, for those of you who know about my health struggles, this is an update...for those of you who don't, I'll inform you some. I've had diarrhea and abdominal pain since October of 2008. In December of that year, I had my gall bladder removed. However, it didn't help. I've had CT scans, ultrasounds, CBCs, and abdominal xrays. I've been to six or seven different doctors and none of them has done anything to help....or even to make me think they cared one bit.

So, my mom and I were talking to my childhood preacher and his wife. They convinced us to apply for Social Security. I did and was denied disability (hadn't worked long enough) but am being reviewed for SSI. I went in for a pysical yesterday and they kind of hinted that I'll be getting a colonoscopy after the Social Security office reviews the doctor's notes.

Now, I'm not really excited about a colonoscopy or the preparation for it....I am, however, ready for a final diagnosis. I mean, it's been nearly two years and nobody has been able to tell me a cause for my diarrhea and abdominal pain.

Christmas Meanderings...

I have noticed that kids expect more and more presents each year at Christmas. I've seen parents with baskets full of gifts for their children, and I'm not saying that they're bad parents, I'm just saying I don't agree with them. Parents shouldn't spend tons of money on Christmas presents when they already spend hundreds of dollars throughout the year on those same children.

My family has always been poor. We kids didn't know that we were, but we were struggling to get by. We didn't notice or mind when we ate beans and boiled potatoes for a month or more because it's all we could afford. We didn't complain when we had to chop down our own Christmas tree, or when we didn't have any of the toys that talked or anything (maybe we had some from yard sales, but we never had batteries for them).

When Christmas came, mom would apply for help from the local church. We never had a ton of presents, but we appreciated them all. I remember one year, my mom had bought us all thin blankets from a yard sale and saved them for Christmas and we loved those blankets more than anything else that year. They were picnic blankets, made into tents, used on our beds...or for pallets when we would sleep in the living room floor. Of course, when we went to school in January after Christmas break, we would brag about all these "great" presents we had gotten...and sometimes scoff at the other kids that bragged about their new video game systems or money or whatever the new technology was at that time.

As we grew up, mom stopped applying for help and we just didn't have as many presents. Mom's close family (sister and aunts) would sometimes bring us gifts and want us to open them while they were visiting, but we'd all insist on saving them for Christmas day.

Presents stopped while I was still in high school. After break, everyone would ask what I got for Christmas and I'd simply say "nothing big" and name a few of the things mom had gotten me through the year (mostly at yard sales or at thrift stores). Through college, the same thing applied.

To me, Christmas has always been more about spending time with family and friends. We've never had money for many presents, so presents have never been a big part of Christmas for me. I mean, sure, I get a little sad when people brag about what they've gotten for Christmas (and yes, they still do) and I havent gotten anything. It's a little disheartening when mom's so excited about giving a gift from the consignment shop, only to find out it doesn't fit right.

This year, I went with mom to yard sales and we bought some little things which we put in boxes for Christmas for the kids. I made hats for the older girls and cookies for the guys. I've not been working because I've been sick and the doctors can't figure out what's wrong with me...so it's back to our old Christmas style.

My nephews were obviously disappointed in the gifts this year. My 3 year old niece LOVED everything she opened. The girls have loved their hats so far and the guys enjoy the cookies. It's discouraging that so many kids put so much emphasis on gifts at Christmas...they all want big gifts too. Things on my nephews' Christmas lists this year included: real gold bar, new stereo, rifle, money, four wheelers, new laptops, and cell phones (which they already have cell phones, they just wanted better phones).

I remember visiting Santa here in town and being asked what I wanted for Christmas when I was 5. I simply answered "I guess a new doll would be nice, but I'd really like a new pair of dress shoes." That's it. I didn't name off a long list of things I wanted and didn't ask for anything special or technological...just a pair of shoes.

My niece is 3 years old and is like that. When we asked her in the summer what she wanted for her birthday, she just wanted a rug. For Christmas she said she wanted a tea pot and a plain box with art stuff and balloons in it. We didn't get her the art box, but we got her 2 little tea pots that we found for a dollar a piece at a consignment shop. She has loved those presents more than any kid could ever love a mp3 player or cell phone or whatever.

Anyway, Just a few thoughts. Next year will you be one of the parents stressing at Christmas and buying baskets full of toys and electronics...or will you take a walk on the simpler side of life?

Been a while...

Geez Louise, it's been a long time! I haven't been up to much, so I didn't think I had a lot to write about. I think I was just procrastinating again.

My niece has started preschool and is loving it. Unfortunately, we're still hoping that her lazy dad will look for a job (something he hasn't done in nearly a year). My sister just has to work extra hard to make ends meet because of him. I wonder how his child support for his son is getting paid? hmm...

It's been a year since my brother died. For those of you who don't know, he was working painting a water tower and fell from the top. He died on impact on September 19th last year. It's been a hard year, but every year has it's ups and downs. Unfortunately, we just learned that his boss hasn't paid for the funeral or headstone yet, and they can't deliver the headstone until it's paid for. We're waiting because we have total confidence that his boss will follow through with this promise.

I've been searching for a job. Unfortunately, elementary teaching jobs around here are kind of scarce. A few of the schools around here actually let some teachers go at the end of the year last year because they had small class sizes and were able to combine them some. I've searched more, but still have not been able to find anything. Jobs are scarce and people aren't leaving their jobs to make room for new people.

I've been having some health problems...yeah, imagine that! I've had bronchitis since around July 27th and it doesn't seem to want to go away. I've been through 3 rounds of antibiotics, steroids and cough syrup...yet, it's still here. The doctors told me that they want to do a pulmonary function test to check for something more serious than acute bronchitis, but I haven't been back to the doctor again. It's hard to go to the doctor when you aren't able to find work and you've been broke for forever.

Just an update on the animal neglect blog...I contacted PETA. They weren't as helpful as I would have hoped. They just called the policeman that I had spoken to. They told me that the officer said that all of the dogs had food, water, and some form of shelter. I acknowledged all of that, but the shelter wasn't big enough for all of the dogs and there were several dogs with eye infections. Anyway, I guess nothing came of that, but I wish that they had done something.

I guess that's all for now. I'm sure more will be going on to write about. I just hope I can remember to write! haha

Animal Neglect

I'm writing today about something I've seen. If you know me very well you know that I love watching Animal Planet and that I love animals. Today I went with my friend to a kennel to pick up a miniature Dachshund that was being given away. If you have ever been to a kennel, you know that they can be deplorable places.

What I saw today, absolutely broke my heart. Dogs matted, some with eye infections, some with insufficient shelter. I seriously shed a few tears, as did my mother and friend. When we went, we knew they had the miniature dachshund and a blind Boston terrier to give away. The Boston terriers eyes were filled with the "green goop" sign of an eye infection. The dogs in surrounding pens were matted so severely that you could barely tell what kind of dog it was.

I called the county sheriff's office to have them check into it (like PETA suggested). They called back and said that the dogs had water and food. The deputy then told me that the pens all had shelter in them (which is true, but it isn't sufficient shelter for the number of dogs in each pen). The owner of the kennel took the deputy out to see the Boston terrier and said they have medicine and are doctoring the eyes (the deputy didn't ask to see any medicine). He said that because they have food, water, and shelter there was nothing they can do about it. I think it's horrendous that the police didn't look into all of my complaint and that they didn't think that the neglect was anything to worry about.

I was able to take a few pictures on my phone while I was in the yard alone, but they aren't the best pictures and you can't see the severity of the matting. I just hope that PETA will do something on their part to insure that these dogs will have a good life. Attached are a couple of pictures that kind of show the matting, but since they are phone pictures they aren't the best.

Cleaning

The wedding is off. We got a call on Monday morning from my brother saying that he and his girlfriend had broken up and are not getting married. We were all happy about that, but then had to make the 2 hour drive to pick him up from her mom's house.

On another note, I was told (by the principal) when I resigned from teaching because of health problems and no real answers that my business with the school was over. I got a call from the superintendent and he said that the school had a couple of checks for me that I can pick up whenever I'm in town. Since we never go to that town for shopping or anything, we'll probably make a trip there today to pick up those checks. They couldn't have really come at a better time so, I'm thankful for that. God really does provide!

On Friday we are supposed to meet a lady from our local Freecycle. She is giving us some cosmos and four o'clocks and Mom is really excited about that. This lady is meeting us before her chemo treatment so we'll probably be talking to her for a while. Mom will want to add her to the church prayer list.

I have been cleaning my room, just a little at a time. Isn't it amazing how much "stuff" we accumulate?! They say teachers are destined packrats, and my mom is a packrat...I guess I was just meant to be this way. I threw away so much stuff and donated so much stuff to a thrift shop and still have stuff to go through. I see now how big my supply of baby clothes is! I had them for my niece and a little girl I was keeping but now that they are too big for them, it's just hard to get rid of them. Some are too small for my great niece and others would fit, but are the wrong season. I'm sure I'll find someone to loan them to though. Oh, and I have a Johnny JumpUp...my niece is nearly 3 and my great niece is only here maybe a couple of days a month. I'd rather this thing be used than sitting in my bedroom. Luckily, I know a family (grandparents) that has had around 4 babies since January, so they may be able to use it.

Anyway, I'm going to try to start writing more regularly again. Once I start slacking on something, it's so easy to keep slacking and even kind of forget about it. Memorial Day weekend is nearly here....do you know where your swimsuit is? haha