2010.

Hello, and happy new year! We managed to survive the holidays. This was our second Christmas without our girl. The pain was different this year. In many ways it cut a lot deeper. That first Christmas Hadley had only been gone for 2 weeks. We were still in such shock. Anyway, we survived. She was missed every single minute but, we take great comfort in the fact that she is no longer in pain and with the only being who can love her more perfectly than we can.

First, thank you for your prayers for our marriage. After much reflection and soul searching Brandon and I decided that it is in everyone's best interest for us to give our marriage the chance it deserves to survive. We are working on ourselves as individuals and on our marriage as a couple. We have a lot of work to do, both individually and together but, we are determined to grow closer through this. We thank you for your thoughts and prayers during this time. We both have so much on our plates, emotionally. Parenting our boys and aiding in their grief process, our own grief, personal growth and investing in and repairing our marriage. Exhausting but, like I said, we're determined.

Liam turned 6 on November 17th. Where does the time go. Wasn't Liam JUST 'baby Liam'? *tear* He is doing wonderfully in Kindergarten. He is a good friend and is meeting and surpassing all academic expectations. He was rewarded for displaying the character quality of FAITH this school year. We are so proud of him. He's really growing into quite the little man. A mischievous little man but, a man nonetheless.

Keegan will be 8 in just a few weeks (Jan 18th). Again, I just can't believe it. Sometimes when I'm watching them play I just sit and shake my head because I can't believe how much they've grown. Keegan is doing well at school too. His reading/comprehension scores are well beyond his grade level at 98 words per minute. He is reading chapter books with ease and fast enough that we are going to have to start accessing the library more often, or buy stock in Barnes and Noble. ;) Keegan received the character award for displaying INTEGRITY. Again, we are so proud of him. He is a very kind hearted young man and such a blessing.

Brandon is a coxswain at the station now. This means, basically, that he is in charge of a crew and drives the boats. He is responsible for responding to calls and his crew. He worked hard for quite some time for this. It is also a big step toward his next promotion. I am very proud of all his hard work. He is really enjoying this billet and seems to have found his niche.


As many of you know I've had some health issues recently. On December 4th I had a very simple knee repair surgery. My lateral meniscus was torn and needed to be cleaned up. The surgery went exactly as expected and was successful. A few days after surgery, though, I was in the ER with a lot of pain and swelling in my calf. I was diagnosed with a DVT (deep vein thrombosis or blood clot in a deep vein). I was started on blood thinners (and pain meds) immediately. Over the course of the rest of the month my dose of blood thinners was raised repeatedly but, lab work continues to show that my blood is still at a very high risk of clotting. Late in the month I developed two more DVT's (for a total of 3), this time at the knee and in my thigh. Currently I am on both an oral and subcutaneous injection blood thinners(for those in the medical field I'm up to 9mg/day of coumadin and 240mg/day Lovenox). I am on bed rest to prevent a pulmonary embolism and am at the doctor's office every other day for labs and doctor's visits to monitor and adjust everything. I have been restricted from driving because of the risk involved with my using my leg and the clots there...and also the danger involved with a pulmonary embolism happening while I'm behind the wheel (both to me and my passengers and the cars and pedestrians around me). For whatever reason, despite heavy doses of anticoagulants I am still at a high risk to develop more clots (last pro-time lab was 1.13). Please keep us in your prayers where this is concerned. I would really love to avoid any more clots, any complications with the coumadin and lovenox (meds) and, obviously, a pulmonary embolism would be a real pain too. Please pray for Brandon as he cares for the boys and I. Pray for my doctors as they care for me. Be thankful with us for the graciousness of Brandon's command. I am trying my best to ignore the seriousness of this situation. I just refuse to acknowledge that our family could really be put through anything else...

I'll get some pictures up soon.

Faith, Hope and Love to you all. <3

Yes, Brandon and I are separated. That's about all most people need to know. The rest is between us. We are still great friends and there wasn't any huge drama. Yes, we realize we are grieving and no, we aren't making any huge decisions right now. Yes, we have talked about this with our boys and have encouraged them to ask questions etc. Our separation is not a secret but it IS a private matter. We ask that you respect that and pray for us. I assure you that God will know what we need even in you don't have all the details. ;)

Please understand that our hearts are broken, our lives have been up-heaved...and we need some time to help things settle. I'm sorry for being so blunt...and for the fact that many of you will find out about our separation this way. Please remember that we are trying to keep things positive for the boys. Little ears always hearing...so please choose your words carefully. The last thing either Brandon or I want is for the boys to hurt any more than they have already had to. We always have their best interest at heart in every small and large decision we make.

Thank you for your support during this difficult time.
Angela

Yes, Brandon and I are separated. That's about all most people need to know. The rest is between us. We are still great friends and there wasn't any huge drama. Yes, we realize we are grieving and no, we aren't making any huge decisions right now. Yes, we have talked about this with our boys and have encouraged them to ask questions etc. Our separation is not a secret but it IS a private matter. We ask that you respect that and pray for us. I assure you that God will know what we need even in you don't have all the details. ;)

Please understand that our hearts are broken, our lives have been up-heaved...and we need some time to help things settle. I'm sorry for being so blunt...and for the fact that many of you will find out about our separation this way. Please remember that we are trying to keep things positive for the boys. Little ears always hearing...so please choose your words carefully. The last thing either Brandon or I want is for the boys to hurt any more than they have already had to. We always have their best interest at heart in every small and large decision we make.

Thank you for your support during this difficult time.
Angela

Not ME...

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.


First, and foremost, I am NOT blogging my Not Me Monday post a day late. Not Me. I am punctual. *wink*

When my five year old brought me an Instead cup out if it's wrapper this morning, inquiring as to what it was, I did NOT lie to him. I believe in being honest with your children and giving them accurate information on their level. I do not believe in lying to your children to save yourself time, embarrassment etc. at their expense. So, of course I didn't lie to my sweet, curious boy.

I did not allow my children to eat brownies for breakfast their first morning home from camp. I am firm in my rules because children thrive in an environment where they know what to expect and what is expected of them. I wouldn't offer my kids eggs and then walk out of the room with an open dish of brownies sitting on the counter when they balk at their other options. Furthermore, it certainly wasn't me who answered "I don't care...go ahead...just don't make a big mess..." when my angelic children actually foiled my plan of 'ignoring' the brownie situation by ASKING FOR PERMISSION to eat brownies for breakfast. I would never...nope, it wasn't me!

I did NOT go to the bank first thing this morning thinking it was the first of the month, and therefore pay day, and nearly have a heart attack when I saw our account balance. I am level headed and respond well to stressful situations. Not to mention the fact that I am all kinds of on top of things so, of course I know that the first, and pay day, is TOMORROW. I simply wouldn't make those mistakes. Not ME!

I did not go to Portland International Airport this morning bra-less, in sweats and with two children without shoes and in their jammies in tow. We all know that a good mom is ready for any situation no matter what time it is. This mommy would never do that...must have been someone else you saw because it certainly wasn't me!

So...all of you who think I am hiding a cape...Now you know the truth...Not Me! =)

Can't leave out the dishes...

So, now that we're figuring out how to save money in the laundry room let's move on to the kitchen. =) In retrospect I probably should have started there. It is a little simpler to make and would have helped you see that you CAN do it and it WILL work as good, if not better, than the expensive stuff with all the crazy chemicals etc. Blech. But, you all know I never do anything the way I should. *wink*

Here's the 'recipe':

1 cup borax
1 cup washing soda
3-5 drops of tea tree oil*

I put it all in an empty plastic container and shake it up. I put one tablespoon in each compartment (for a total of 2 tbsp per load).

*Optional-I did add this. I bought the natural 100% tea tree oil in the health food dept of Fred Meyer. It was about $10 for the little bottle but, it will last forever and has a ton of household uses. Everything from an all natural antiseptic for cuts/wounds to blemish control for your face and some companies add it to their shampoo to help keep the scalp as clean as possible and promote healthy hair growth. So, there you have it. =)


Now, if you love your rinse aid or have wanted to use one but, refused to spend even more money on detergents etc (like me) it's your lucky day. Remember the huge jug of white vinegar we bought for the laundry? Now, you can pour it in your rinse aid dispenser in your dishwasher. Trust me...you will be a happy little homemaker. =)


Now that we've saved so much money...what will we DO with it? Bwa ha ha ha. =) *snort*

"Fabric Softener"

More brilliance. If you have a fabric softener dispenser on your machine then this is super easy. If you don't you can use a downy ball etc...or, if you have nothing better to do =) you can just manually add it to the rinse cycle. =) You will use this INSTEAD of fabric softener or Fabric Softener sheets.

1/4 to 1/2 Cup White Vinegar.


I promise your clothes will not smell like Vinegar. It helps soften your fabrics and remove soap reside naturally. =) Awesome. Just DO NOT use bleach in the same load as Vinegar.


Not only is this all natural and CHEAP but, it may help extend the life of your dryer as well. When we bought our new HE machines from Sears they recommended we not use dryer sheets. Apparently they can get wrapped up in 'something' (I am a mom of very little brain and can't remember what) and cause the motor to burn and possibly even a house fire!!! What?!?

I have used Vinegar for a long time in laundry. I started when I had the kids in cloth diapers and I used it in them and LOVED it. Yes, I am THAT mom. What? *wink*

If you can find your vinegar in a big jug it is cheaper that way and you won't have buy it very often. I know Costco has a huge jug for something like $2??? I think. I'll report back on Monday after my Costco trip.

So, there you have it. All natural, all wallet friendly laundry, all the time. Oh yeah. *snort*

Laundry for Pennies...

I have decided recently that being thrifty isn't something we should 'do' just when we HAVE to. You can read that however you want....but, for this pay check to paycheck enlisted military family...it means that sometimes the month lasts longer than the paycheck. If'n ya catch my drift. So, I have been trying to find painless ways to save a bit here and there. My initial worry was that I'd be sacrificing quality to save money but, I've found that, with a little added work, just isn't the case. I like to TRY and keep our home as 'natural' an environment as I can. I don't always succeed but, I figure if I do several little things it has to make a difference right? I have found in this quest to save money that if I forgo some of the 'deals' and commit to a little work I can have high quality product at a VERY small price.

My FIRST find is Home Made Laundry Soap. You can find 'recipes' online. The one I used came from a fellow Coast Guard Spouse. I felt confident trying it after a lot of glowing recommendations from other spouses. It is super easy to make and you may just briefly lose consciousness when you see how much it will cost you...or rather SAVE you. =) You make a 5 gallon bucket of CONCENTRATE at once. Once you have the concentrate made you use old (rinsed out) laundry soap containers (reusing=recycling's older and wiser brother...yay). For each gallon of finished laundry soap you use 1/2 gallon of your concentrate, so your 5 gallon bucket will yield TEN gallons of laundry detergent!!! That equates into roughly 180 loads for a traditional machine or 640 loads for an HE or Front Loader! Wow...right?!?

Now picture all those big laundry soap bottles...pesky right? I hate those. Even the 2x or HE soap bottles are a pain. No MORE! =)

Now, would you like to guess how much this batch of laundry soap will cost you to make? Wait for it....right around $2.10. Don't believe me? Check it out for yourself. I did the math (with a calculator and everything). Of course your prices may vary given different stores, container sizes and cost of living factors etc. but this will give you a rough idea.

1 Fells Naptha Soap Bar=$1.29 (makes 1 batch)
1 box of Arm and Hammer WASHING Soda=$3.29 (makes 6 1/2 batches)
1 box Borax Laundry Booster=$5.50 (makes 19 batches)

$1.29
.51
+ .29
-------
$2.09

That's about a PENNY for each load for traditional washers and about 5 loads for a PENNY and a half in an HE or Front Loader Machine! SERIOUSLY. *gasp* Right?!?

The only other things you need are:

1--5 gal. bucket With a lid. Any clean one will do. I bought one at Fred Meyer for $4.
Hot water
1--Grater for soap ( I used the slicer/shredder/Grater attachment for my KitchenAid this is quick and easy but, any grater will do.)
stove top
pan for melting down grated soap and water

This takes a minimal amount of time and will save you a good chunk of money (and help our planet a bit too).

Sold yet?

Here are the instructions:

1 bar of soap, grated (I used Fels-Naptha Brand)
1 cup washing soda (Arm & Hammer Brand)
1/2 cup Borax
4 cups HOT water





Grate the soap, and put into a pan on the stove with the 4 cups of HOT water and cook over med low heat until the soap is melted.



Pour into a 5 gallon bucket, add the Borax and Washing Soda and stir well.

Add HOT water (we used the bath tub) to the top of the bucket to equal 5 gallons of liquid.


Let sit over night. This mixture will gel. Stir well the next morning. Take an old clean laundry detergent container and add 1 quart of laundry detergent concentrate and 1 quart of HOT water, screw on the top and shake well. You now have 1/2 gallon of homemade liquid laundry detergent. Shake before each use. You can add essential oils at this point if you so desire. I picked up some Tea Tree Oil to help with 'disinfecting' and the yummy smell.



Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads) Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)