My Love

My Love

Friday, November 18, 2016

Another November 18th

So much has changed over the years... 11 years ago today I walked into a court room and was sentenced to 0-5 years prison time, was handcuffed and led out of the courtroom and taken to the county jail to await transport to the prison a few days later. I lost my family, I lost my children, I lost my material things... I lost, what I thought at the time, was everything.
It has been a long road to get where I am from there. I have some of my family back- my oldest daughter being the most important. I have been in contact with my younger daughter. I had a career, health got in the way but I am again working and enjoying what I do. I have amazing friends who don't care about where I've been or what I've done. I have a wonderful husband, and a good life. I have the things I need- mainly my happiness and strength, freedom and faith in myself. I have also reached out to my parents- over 5 years of no contact between us, I want things to change... I want positive memories of the last years of my parents lives.
I am, for the first time in years, looking forward to Thanksgiving! I will be in the kitchen with family preparing a feast and celebrating the amazing family we have. My daughter is married! I have my son-in-law and all his family here! New traditions and new family! Past years I haven't wanted to even acknowledge Thanksgiving... I didn't really have anything to be thankful for, all I had was memories of a family who was no longer the family I grew up with, I had memories of my first day in prison being Thanksgiving and the horrid meal we were served.
Money is tight, it may not be the perfect meal. But the family and the love will outweigh everything else next week! As for today- I can look back and think I have come a long way! And I have no regrets. I am happy with my path and where I am.

Thursday, November 3, 2016

Positivity~Love~Thankful

After only a week and a half of having our new extended family here with us, both adults have started training for new jobs! For sure lifts the stress just a bit. Things are still tough, but I can see a light at the end of the tunnel rather than the black unknown I was fearing a few days ago.
Two things made this happen (aside from their desire)... a positive attitude that things would work out and we would eventually be ok. And the love this family has for each other- all of us, we really are one family. 
I am blessed to have this family. I am honored to be helping others. I am grateful to those who have reached out to help us in any way they can.
I am excited about the jobs and the positive outlook. I am even looking forward to the holidays with a family! I realize it is about time I set aside my past issues with the best time of year, and create new traditions and new memories for my daughter and her future family. I haven't been fair to her over the years with ignoring the holidays... I hope she can get past all that and welcome my new attitude and attempt.
We are still hopeful that our GoFundMe account will get more donations, as there are things we are not able to take care of right now. 
https://www.gofundme.com/qf-help-me-help-them
I plan to leave this account up as long as we are still behind on raising funds for this families basic needs and catching up on our basic household expenses.
We have had a few people reach out to help us in ways other than financial that has been a much appreciated blessing.
It is November- a month to remember all the things you are thankful for. Don't be hateful or greedy- be glad you have the things you do, be grateful for your family. And spread the love to everyone!

Friday, October 28, 2016

Help Us Help Them

An update to my last post about putting a roof over someones head who didn't have one... After a couple days of doing math and battling with my pride, we made the decision to create a GoFundMe account to help cover the expenses that are already accumulating. Bottom line is this... we have struggled to support the 2 of us and the one added family member, now we have 8 people and 6 dogs that, for the most part, my husband is entirely supporting for now. I would not change my choice to help this family if I had it to do over again! If I am not able to get donations and support, so be it- we will somehow figure it out.
I am not asking for money for a trip to DisneyLand or even to put my kid thru college... I am asking for contributions to help keep a roof over our heads and food in our stomachs, to get these kids the things they need to get by in this Utah climate.
So here is the link if anyone is interested in reading our story or helping us out. Thank you, and God bless.

https://www.gofundme.com/qf-help-me-help-them



Monday, October 24, 2016

Open Heart~ Open Home

People often ask me why I do the things I do, I've been taken advantage of, walked on, I don't have a lot for myself- so why do I spread it so thin that I suffer in order to share with others...
Simple, I've been there. I've been turned away by some, and supported by others. And I remember those experiences. I remember the fear of a bad situation, I remember the pain of being ignored and turned away by people who claimed they cared, and I remember the love I felt- and will always remember the people who were there in my hardest times.
My husband and I don't have a lot, we struggle every month to make ends meet. But what we do have is big hearts and a warm home.
When family is in need, you help- no questions, you just do it! No, I didn't learn that from my family... I actually learned it from the failure of my family to be this way... and swore I would never be like them.
Yes, I've had 2 recent not so good experiences with taking people into my home. But they were people from my past, that I should have left in my past!
A couple weeks ago I was told my son-in-laws family was being evicted. Times are tough in the town they are from and they had fallen behind in bills including rent. My SIL was stressed and worried that his teen siblings were going to be on the streets, this also had my daughter upset and stressed. We didn't hesitate... my husband and I discussed it and decided they would come stay with us until they can get on their feet. Things went from bad to worse and we moved up the date by 2 weeks at the drop of a hat, really. My husband, SIL, and a friend of ours who has a truck- left Thursday afternoon to drive a thousand miles, rent a trailer, pack them up, and come back... all in less than 40 hours.
My daughter and her husband moved out last week, so we do have plenty of room for the family... but even if we didn't- we would make room- FAMILY MATTERS! I have a 5 bedroom home- and now a full house. Will things be tight? Yes. Limited privacy? oh yeah! I have 4 teenagers in the house now! One has been here since July, part of the family already, but now we have her mom and dad, her 15 year old sister, and twin 14 year old brothers. And a total of 6 dogs! I can deal with people... the dogs will take some getting used to!
Money is going to be tight, we took this on knowing they have nothing right now, until they get working. We will have to sacrifice things for a while, as will they. But when you care about someone- its what you do. I've always had a soft spot for helping people less fortunate than I- even when I had next to nothing! I care! Is that so hard for people to understand? Seriously, people in todays society are so self centered, don't care about the guy who hasn't had a shower in a month, or the family who can't feed their kids- they care about the new shoes they bought yesterday or that bad ass concert they are going to on Friday. If more people would open their hearts maybe we would have a little more peace in the world.
I feel blessed to be able to bring this family into my home and help them, to help ease the stress of my daughter and her husband, to give these kids a safe and warm home where they can remain a family. I know that by doing good things and helping others, Karma will come back and help me when I need it.
So this is my life for now, we committed to allowing them to stay with us until June- this gives them time to get jobs and save some money, as well as keeping the kids in one school the rest of the year... I can't imagine how hard it is for teens to be ripped from their friends and moved, I would hate for them to have to do that twice in one school year.
I know there is always a chance of things turning bad, but I truly feel this is a different situation- these people just need a break and a helping hand.

Thursday, September 15, 2016

So many things run thru your mind when opportunity for life change happens. for 35 years I have battled this disease. Hundreds of tests, medications, suggestions of more "in depth" testing. hope for successful treatment- medications, surgery, diet... it has been a very long road with many bumps, to say the least.
Now I am facing another hill on this rollercoaster. I have been told I am a qualified candidate for the VNS implant- YAY! My insurance has approved the procedure- YAY again! I met with the surgeon and got a date for the procedure- another YAY! It all sounds perfect! Perfect doesn't happen. All the hopes... and let downs, I still struggle to believe this is real.
This device could do so much to improve my quality of life- reduce my seizures and reduce the severity of the ones I do have. This is the high, the hope. But in the back of my head is the what if... what if I am the one in a hundred who this doesn't work for? What if I am the one who has a bad reaction to this foreign device in my body? 
There are always risks and possibilities like this when a person faces surgery, and I have never been one to fear something like this. I do welcome this possibility! Much better option than what my doctor wanted to do! THAT scared me!
I am seriously on an emotional rollercoaster this past couple weeks, getting worse as my surgery date approaches, one minute I am excited about my future, the next I am scared something will prevent this from happening last minute, then I think how blessed I am to get this chance.
I have such an amazing support system in my family and friends. I discussed this with my family before making the decision... all they want is for me to be happy, for me to get relief from this nightmare that we live with. I say we because it is all of us, not just me. My husband worries about me whenever he has to leave me by myself, or when I go somewhere alone. My daughter checks on me regularly to make sure I'm ok. All of them have had to help me to the floor or keep me from hitting my head, talk me thru, sit with me as I come to. Kayla has lived with this her entire life, watching me go thru these seizures. I remember one night when she was not even three years old- I had a very severe seizure. My boyfriend called the paramedics, I was out of it until they were strapping me to the gurney... all I remember is being taken across the front yard to the ambulance and listening to my baby girl yelling for mommy. It was heartbreaking. This is what I think of every time she is there for me now. I don't want her to have to live the rest of her life like that. I need her to know that I will be ok.
So as it stands today, I am two weeks from getting this device, another 2 weeks after that it will be turned on and programmed and I will start to see results! I am excited... and pray for positive - noticable results!
I've been needing some kind of distraction tokeep me from thinking too much about all of this. Tomorrow we are going away for the weekend with friends... much needed and looked forward to escape!

Monday, August 15, 2016

Peace of Mind

I have always been known for my temper and lack of patience in dealing with things. If I get mad, the anger gets the best of me- I act before I have a chance to calm down and think logically.
That started to happen a week and a half ago...
After my 'friend' had gone to Idaho to take care of things with her mothers passing, I learned that her mother was actually an old friend of mine from when AOL chat rooms were our only form of social media. One of my friends had remained close to her and knew all sorts of things that I apparently needed to know! I won't go into detail, but I did learn some things that were disturbing- that told me I had been lied to and misled by someone I cared about and trusted, someone I opened my heart and home to. After getting the info she gave me I did some digging of my own and learned this person living in my home has active felony warrants here in Utah. This, along with the crimes committed and the background I learned... led my husband and I to decide she was no longer welcome in our home. I would pack her things and put them in the shed for her to get when she returned from Idaho.
In the process of packing her things, I walked into a nightmare of moldy dishes, gum in the carpet and on the wall, needles everywhere, trash everywhere... I was blown away! As we packed and cleaned up a little, we found things that upset me more and more, proof that I was being taken advantage of, lied to, and best yet- felonies were being committed out of my home, with my address as the location things are being sent. I was livid! The reality of what was going on didn't truly set in- I just knew I wanted her out of my life. The following morning I sent a text stating that her belongings are in the shed and she is not welcome here... ever, after picking her things up. There were guilt trips and verbal attacks, that just made me smile. Normally I would attack back, anxiety getting the best of me, but I just brushed it off... words can hurt, but I know I'm the better person today and I know the things she was saying were untrue.
Within an hour of that text being sent, a dear friend- whom I have always and will always trust, helped me see the common sense side of all this. I am a felon- felonies are being committed out of my home- I now know of said felonies, therefor making me somewhat an accessory if I don't report it... I called the police.
All evidence of all the criminal activity that had taken place in her room was turned over to the police. And today I took another pile of things to the police station, I am now awaiting a call from the detective.
Saturday while we were at a funeral event, I received a text saying she was on her way from Idaho to get her things, I tried to tell her I wouldn't be there and don't want her there when we are not home... I had been instructed by the police to contact them as soon as she showed up so they could do a warrant service for her outstanding warrants... I didn't have time to argue, and honestly, I didn't care to. I called my daughter and had them put her things in the driveway. Her texts continued to try to egg me on, but I was at peace with how I had handled things. 
Shortly after we arrived home I got a series of texts claiming I had stolen from her and blah blah blah...
whatever.
I don't normally involve police, I don't normally let things slide off my shoulder. But I know in my soul that I did what was right. Not just for me, but for my family, for her victims and possible future victims. And who knows... maybe even for her as well! Chances are she will never face judgment for this, or her other crimes in Utah. She ran, as apparently she always does when the going gets tough, she has a new home- far away from me and my family. And I am perfectly fine with that. I did what was right, I did what I had to, I feel good about all of it. One day karma will catch up to her. 
Meanwhile I have my home back, I have my family, my safety, and my peace of mind.

Thursday, August 4, 2016

Things happen for a reason...

Yesterday, following some doctor appointments, my daughter and went to my parents house to drop off a disk of wedding pics so they can choose and print the ones they want and always be able to pic more and have them right there. I have not been to my parents home in over 5 years- have seen them once in 5 years. havent spoken to them in 5 years. There was a bit of anxiety there! But I know I need to fix things at some point between us... they are my parents! No matter how much I dislike the things my mother does and says, bottom line is I love my parents and would hate for them to pass away with us not on good terms- I want them to know I love them. I want my girls to know that even the toughest of relationships can be mended, and I want us to be a family- especially now that I am somewhat in my younger daughters life. It was an awkward visit, but it went well. We were there maybe ten minutes- talked about the photos and how to go about getting prints, small talk about family and the neighbors in the old hood.
A little later in the day I layed down for an hour nap- I still need them once in a while! about 40 minutes later I was awakened by the front door slamming and my roommate screaming for me... but something in her voice told me this was bad. I jumped, I caught up to her as she was heading back out the door... eyes wide, tears in her eyes, and shaking terribly while listening on the phone. She just stared me blankly... she walked to the gate, turned, screamed and threw her phone as she dropped to the ground. I picked up the phone as my daughter helped her up and attempted to lead her to a chair. I introduced myself to whomever was on the other end, and I learned that her mother had passed. As my roommate puts it she was a hot mess! I wrote down all the important info she needed while she tried to pack for an immediate departure to Idaho. She is an only child, everything is in her lap now- from funeral decisions to the house payment and possible sale, insurance and any legal stuff. All she could say yesterday was "I don't want to adult right now!" I get it! I think everyone wants to go back to childhood when they lose a parent.
She was not close to her mother, they were estranged. Pretty much a fluke that she even found out her mother passed, really! She out of the blue decided to call her one relative whom she is somewhat close to- this was just hours after her mother was found. No one knew how to contact my room mate. When she first moved back to Utah- in with us, back the first of June- her original plan was to take a few days to settle then go up to visit her mother and see if they could talk a little. Then it got put off a couple weeks. Then I stopped hearing about her plans to visit... She never made it to see her mother.
After she was on the road to go do her 'adulting' and face this terrible loss, my own personal wheels got turning... what if that was my mom? What if I was the one falling apart on my good friends shoulder and having to drive to her house and to a funeral home... What a reality smack in the face!
I am truly heartbroken for my friend, not that she lost her mother so much, but that she has inside of her that she never got to say goodbye, never made amends, never had the chance to let her mom know that deep down she does love her. I can't imagine not having that kind of closure. I pray that she is able to find peace and some kind of closure with what she is going thru right now.
It told me this is the time! I have to repair the damaged relationship I have with my family! I need to reconnect, I need to tell my parents how much they mean to me- how much I love them.
I love you mom and dad!