Hot Sauce

A rule we have in our house is that if one of our girls hurts someone with their mouth they get hot sauce. So if they lie, say something mean, and the newest one, say that they "hate you" they get a drop of hot sauce in their mouth. So this weekend, my hubby is having a conversation with our middle who was disobeying and he was offereing the option of hot sauce. My youngest hears this and immediately goes to the fridge to get the hot sauce. Hot sauce was not going to be a punishment this time, but my baby girl walks around with the hot sauce asking where her sister is. Gotta love a little 2 year old who tries to help out mommy and daddy.

Sunday Tradition

I just love Sundays with my hubby and girls. It is our "Family Day." We go to church (if my FM gives me the ability to), we stay close to home, don't do a lot of activities, and eat dinner with Grandparents. This gives us a day to focus on the family and prepare for the week ahead.

Growing up we would eat dinner at my Grandparents house pretty much every Sunday. I have tons of memories of this. And we have continued that with our girls and my parents. We do dinner and then watch our most favorite show: America's Funniest Home Videos (AFV). It is so fun to watch a show with my girls that I watched with my parents growing up. AFV never gets old, and we love watching the girls laugh at the videos. The girls just absolutely love it and if there is a Sunday where we happen to not get together with my parents they say "But it's Sunday, why aren't Grandma and Grandpa coming over?"

What traditions do you have? I love that we carry on things from my family and my hubby's family and hopefully our girls will carry them onto their family.

So enjoy this day of rest that God has made for us. Take time to give your kids a few more hugs and I love you's and focus on all that God has given you.

Picture Day

****UPDATE***** So unfortunately we got stood up. But it was at least before we left the house to go drive an hour to meet the person. Always gotta double check people you meet on Craigslist. :)

I have never been good about getting my girls pictures taken on a regular basis. It mainly has to do with the financial aspect of it, we really don't have the extra money to get professional pictures taken regularly.

But then I saw it on Craigslist (my new obsession, the free section), FREE PHOTO SESSION. A photographer was offering a free photo session to get practice and have pictures for her portfolio. So I contacted her and the girls are getting their pictures taken this afternoon. (I have the option to buy a cd with all the pictures for $50 if we like the photos. And don't worry, I have researched her to make sure that she is legit and not a weirdo.)

Once I knew this was scheduled, the big debate started as to what to have the girls wear. A good friend suggested the white t-shirt and khaki or denim bottoms look. I have always wanted to do pictures like this and never had. I am so excited to have them matching like this, we are going with white t-shirts and khaki bottoms.

So tomorrow afternoon, we will be driving to Tempe Town Lake to get pictures of the girls. This will be our first set of outside pictures and the photographer is going to also take some of them playing in the splash park down there too.

I am sooo excited and can't wait to see how they turn out. Hopefully, they will turn out awesome and I will be posting them in the near future.

Fibro Friday - I am not Alone

Fibro Fridays will be a day of education and sharing about FM. I hope this will become a support to you if you have FM or any other physical disability. If you don't have any physical disability, I hope that this will give you insight to my life and others and give you greater understanding.

So this was a bad week, to put it bluntly. Monday started out great and then it all went down hill from there. With FM, I can have good days and bad days, and then there are those bad weeks or months. On these bad days, my pain levels are very high, walking can be extremely difficult and painful. Getting out of bed is so hard. Imagine the last time you had the flu or even Mono. Every move you make is painful, and you have absolutely NO ENERGY to even walk to the bathroom, comb your hair, or even get dressed. This is what most of my days look like. Yes, I know I can put on a good face to the outside world and am forced to function even if I am feeling this way, but inside is a completely different story.

I have always wished that I were "normal" and were like all the other moms that I know. That I could do whatever I wanted in a day and not worry about having to take a nap just so that I have enough energy to pick my girls up from school or go to the grocery store. But this week, after finding new support online and starting this blog, I have come to a greater acceptance of my disability. I am not like "normal" moms and might never be. But I have accepted where God has me and where He is taking me. And I AM NOT ALONE!!!!!

There are so many more people who are where I am at or have been there. They know how hard it is to just get out of bed in the morning, to sleep or walk because the pain is so bad, or be an active mother to 3 beautiful girls. They have been there and know exactly where I am at. I do not need to feel alone anymore, and I take great comfort in this. I am "normal" for me and I do love who I am.

It is in these bad days/weeks/months, that I must remember to focus on the positives, remember how lucky I am to have my hubby, girls, and family there as a support. It has been a huge blessing that I have always had a supportive hubby. He has never doubted or questioned my illness. He is there to help me and make accommodations to make my life easier. Babe, I love you and am so thankful for your love for me. My family has also been there to help support me emotionally and physically (thanks Mom for being my house cleaner!)

So if you are having one of those bad days/weeks/months, take comfort in the fact that you are loved, you are breathing and alive, and YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!!! Be thankful for the love and support you receive and pray for the Lord to see you through the day. You can hope and pray that tomorrow will be a good day and that all that matters is that your family and friends know that you love and care about them.

Knowledge is Power

I found this great website yesterday that has some great information and support for people suffering from Fibromyalgia (or FM). They have a forum and now I don't feel alone on my walk through life with FM. Some people believe that it is just something silly or all in your head and it can be extremely frustrating. There are so many things that people don't understand or know about FM. I feel it is my new duty to help make it easier to understand.

The following information was taken from www.fibro360.com:

• Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain disorder that affects millions of people in the United States alone. It is characterized by musculoskeletal aches that affect the entire body, pain and stiffness, fatigue, soft tissue tenderness and interrupted sleep patterns.
• The tender points associated with fibromyalgia namely the neck, back, shoulders, hands and pelvic girdle, were first identified in the 1820s in Scotland.
• There are a variety of signs and symptoms that are associated with fibromyalgia. Some people with fibromyalgia may experience all the symptoms, while others only experience a select few. The severity of the symptoms also varies greatly from person to person, making fibromyalgia a highly individualized condition.
• Additional symptoms: Fatigue – In addition to the constant pain, up to 90% of those with fibromyalgia also complain of extreme fatigue, Interrupted Sleep Patterns, Chronic Headaches, Memory Loss/Trouble Thinking, Changes in Mood, Urinary and Pelvic Problems, Hypersensitivity
• Diagnosing fibromyalgia is tricky; managing it is a whole other ball game. There is no medicine you can take to make the pain go away, nor is there a cure all for the symptoms.
• Due to the fact that fibromyalgia does not manifest itself in ways that the passersby can see, it is easy to dismiss. Friends, family, and even health care professionals may not be as sensitive to your needs.

My new blog

Hello Friends,

So I have finally succumb to the blogging revolution. I love getting support and love being a support to other moms with small and school aged children. I am doing this as a support to all moms, but especially to moms who have Fibromyalgia. I hope that this will also give you an insight to this disability and help you gain more understanding of its challenges for those who suffer from it (including me).

Stay tuned, you will hear about my life, Fibromyalgia, kid stuff, mom stuff, and plethora of everything that has to do with being a mommy. Please feel free to leave comments, and interact with me.

Thanks for going on this journey with me,
Beckey