New Years Resolutions

So, New's Year Eve is tomorrow and every year it makes me start thinking of resolutions and whether or not I should make one, two, or none. Everytime I make resolutions, I break them. This year I have opted not to make any "resolutions" but promises to myself to do a few things. They are as follows:

1) Lose the 30 pounds my doctor told me I needed to lose a few months back.

2) Spend as much time as possible with my son - he's growing up too fast.

3) Make a budget....school loan repayments start in April (YUCK)

4) Buy a really special gift for John and Jessica's wedding

5) Take at least two vacations, if not more, out of state (Planned so far: Redding in August for John's wedding and Disneyland in May). I would love to make it to Oregon (as I have been talking about it for years) and possibly Germany to see my friends

6) KEEP SMILING!!!

That's about it. I'd say those are some very important "promises" that I'm making to myself.

So, do you make resolutions? Do you stick to them or do you break them? What are they??

Happy 2008 to all! It IS going to be an awesome year!!

TURKEY! TURKEY! TURKEY!

I love Thanksgiving - it is my favorite holiday of all! Well besides my birthday. :)

I cook every year....there hasn't been one year in the last 8 I believe that I haven't made enough food for an army! Turkey, stuffing, smashers, veggies, rolls, pies, sweet potatos, etc, etc, etc. So this year we are traveling to Vegas to be with Eric's mom for Turkey Day. I haven't traveled somewhere else to cook before so it should be interesting. I have emailed her my shopping list so all I need to do is show up. We leave on Wednesday and will be back home on Sunday. The best part of this trip is John decided to fly down to Vegas on Wednesday to spend Turkey Day with us. He will leave Friday. I'm so excited because it's been 10 years at least since John and I have spent the holiday together!!! It's a short trip but he will be there nonetheless!! Yeah hoo!

What are you doing for Turkey Day? Are you cooking or are you the "invited" who shows up to eat?

Happy Thanksgiving to all!!!

In Loving Memory

I just learned today that a dear lady, my friend and ex coworker, Brenda died of leukemia in August of this year. This lady was such a role model for me and a very dear friend of mine. Although she still lived in Vegas and I in Arizona, we would talk every couple months and catch up on life. She was a single mom, raising two teenage boys by herself. She worked a full time job and always had this beautiful smile on her face. When I learned the news today, I was actually calling to talk with her about my 401K that I still have sitting in Vegas. When I couldn't find her in the directory, I figured she had moved on from this job (as we all have) and found something more suited for her. I kept thinking, "Oh great....now I have to hunt her down." The deposit services rep, who I briefly knew before quiting, had to tell me the horrible news and poor thing, had to relive the whole story again. She was upset that I did not know and this was because no one had my contact information (bull, but okay). Brenda had battled breast cancer on and off for years but was in remission. She had found out in July of 07 that she had an aggressive form of leukemia and within a month, it had taken her life. I'm truly blessed to have known Brenda, but am feeling a little selfish right now and am very upset over her passing. God really needed this angel and I'm so thankful that she didn't have to suffer but a month. Please keep her family, her two sons and parents, in your thoughts and prayers. Keep me in those prayers too - I'm pretty devastated by this and this one will take a long time to cope with.

Lastly, tell everyone you love them cause my God, life is fragile and we all have no idea when it will be our turn. Never let a day go by without telling those if your life how much you do love them.

Bored...Imagine that!

So, I'm bored.....I'm done reading and commenting on everyone's blogs so I thought I'd just write.....

Ethan and I were driving home today and were at our four way stop before going in to our subdivision. You won't believe what I saw - I about DIED! I'm stopped, ready to turn right, and the lady to my left at the stop sign goes to turn and her passenger side door opens and a little girl falls out of the car!!! She stood back up and jumped back in the front seat and closes the door, all the while, her shoe remained in the intersection. This little girl was small - couldn't be more than 4 years old if that. My first question is why the hell was she not in the back seat in a car seat for the love of God!!!! My second question is how in the world did the door open? It might be obvious that the little girl was playing around in the front seat and accidentally opened it but it is not something you see everyday. I suppose because parents like me and Eric actually give a shit about our child and lock him up in the back in a SEAT AS REQUIRED BY LAW!!!!!! If I were ever stupid enough to put him in the front seat for any reason, he'd at least have his seatbelt on and the door would be locked. I hope that parent goes home tonight and thanks God that their little girl is okay and they were not going more than 2-5 miles an hour. URGH!

Another question - why is it when you are in the bathroom, usually a place of solitude, does your child feel the need to peek under the door and ask what you are doing? LOL! Ethan and his wacky ways!

Lastly, I have 3 days of college left! I'm thinking a drink might be in order but remember I have that liver issue to think about. SOMEONE DRINK FOR ME!! Sorry Sara and Emily....you are not allowed.

XOXO.

7 days and counting..................

That's it! Seven days and I'm a college graduate (For real)! Now I must figure out what I'm going to do with all the extra time I'm going to have. Anyone have any ideas????? Maybe a trip to Oregon should be in the works!!!

Will it ever be cold again?

We are melting out here in the desert.....literally! It is September and in many places, they are enjoying fall weather starting. Us.....we will have summer until the turkey is cooked in November! Each year gets worse than the first. We will be visiting Idaho next year for vacation to check out if we might want to move there.....we need out of this hell hole!

Happy Birthday!

My little boy turned 5 yesterday! My God has time just flown on by.....someone told me a long time ago that it would. Just didn't believe it until yesterday! We had a great day - I took the day off, we ate at Red Robin with my aunt Joni, Uncle Larry, and cousins Dann and Meg. Then we went to their place to swim and wear Ethan out a bit! Opened presents....came home. His "real" birthday party is this weekend so I decided to do the "ice cream w/candles trick". Scoop the ice cream, plop some candles in it, and light um up! It is just the same as candles in a cake to a 5 year old as long as they can make a wish and blow them out!

I wish I could slow down time and keep him 5 forever!

PS. Wow - I figure out how to post a picture! :)

Update on Life

Well, my HIDA scan came back normal today. That means my gallbladder is okay, functioning as it should and nothing is wrong with it. My liver is still all messed up and that's the next steps to take - since we know the gallbladder is okay, we can focus on trying to fix the liver. I have to make a follow up appointment with Dr. Oh (yep, that's his name) and move forward with whatever it takes to get rid of the "fatty" liver issue. I know losing 30 pounds is in the future but I think I need to get to a nutritionist (who isn't my husband) to help me focus. Yes, Eric knows all that stuff but I need to see someone outside the four walls of my house (I really have more than four walls but you know what I mean). So, until the next appointment, that's all I've got. Good news as far as gallbladders go....but still not defined answers. I'm staying positive and that's all I can do.

Eric is doing well Uncle Jim. Yep, he's still personal training....going on 11 years in the business. Funny, you would think as a personal trainer, he'd have a "smokin hot" wife but unfortunately, it's not reality. :) Hopefully that'll change with this 30 pounds I have to lose.

Ethan is doing awesome! We have decided to not start him in kindergarten this year - he is not quite ready yet. So, today was his first "Transition" day from preschool to PreK! :) Woo hoo! He did awesome with the transitition for day 1. He will start full time in PreK on the 15th! Unfortunately Uncle Jim, he isn't in to baseball or softball....he likes it but would rather kick a ball around....soccer! We wish for football but he loves soccer. I'm trying to find out if there is a team around our community for him to join - he would love it!

That's about it from here! I have 7 weeks of school left and I'm done! I cannot wait!!

Bye for now!

Medical Update

As for the medical update, they still think there is something wrong with my gallbladder after having an ultrasound done....although the ultrasound showed my gallbladder was fine....just one more test to determine if it is messed up or not. That is on the 24th of July.

Another surprising thing showed in the ultrasound.....I have a fatty liver....I know, sounds lovely....but I have it nonetheless. My liver is enlarged....the one thing that surprised my doctor was the fact that my cholesterol levels are so below the average, that I almost have a zero cholesterol count! That sounds great for the heart, but it is really bad for other things....such as your liver. So, when he tried to determine why it was so low and saw my liver, he had his answer. See, my liver isn't working like yours.....yours is taking the fat that comes in to it and is breaking it down into cholesterol which is then secreated in some way (another subject). Mine....well the fat goes in to mine and sits there....very little is processed and therefore, because there is so much in there, it has enlarged my liver. They call it fatty liver disease.....and there is no drug to help it! I have to exercise, diet, and lose 30 pounds at least and PRAY that it will take care of the problem - it is not a guarantee!! That will take me back down to high school weight which is good enough. If I don't take care of it, it could turn in to Hepatitis or cirrhosis which can lead to liver cancer. So, I am on my way to losing the weight....God help me! And I again, pray to God this works!!!! If not, I'm in trouble.

That's it for now! I'll let ya know about the hydrascan on the 24th if anything comes out of it.

Not sure of a title tonight....

It's been a while since I've posted anything and not that I have a whole lot to say, but figured I better write something.....

So, 6 days and I graduate college! HOLY CRAP! Four long years of school....no, not just for my bachelors....I got my associates in there somewhere....but Saturday is for my Bachelor's. I wish when you got your degree that your pay automatically went up 100%! Well at least 15%.....is that asking too much? I have to pay the student loans back sometime....

My brother is coming in Thursday afternoon to hang with us until next Monday! So excited to see him - so is Ethan for that matter - I miss that guy more than I can even express. I cannot believe how old we are now....me turning 30 this year.....him getting married next year! Wow! I remember (get ready Mac kids) when I would visit my dad in La Quinta and the Mac kids, John and I would spend all weekend swimming, "Going to the Mall", hanging out without a care in the world. Now, we are dating, married, having babies, raising families, working our butts off, getting old! :) I'm sure I have a ton of different memories but since I just finished reading Sarah, Emily, James blogs, they were in my mind...

My mom is coming in Thursday as well as her mom. I'm excited to see my mom but in all honestly, seeing her sometimes makes me sad. She's mom, but not mom. Not sure how else to describe it. I miss her dearly. Grandma is super excited to be here! She is getting so old to travel now but she said she wouldn't miss it for the world!

I have friends and additional family coming from all over to celebrate with me! Wonder if I will be sober on Saturday night.....there are too many people wanting to buy me a drink.....good thing I'm not the one driving that day! Oh, good too that Eric doesn't drink. I actually shouldn't be drinking since I got a diagnosis from my doctor....I'll post that in a different post.

I am throwing myself a graduation lunch in my honor (that sounds conceited - oh hell, who cares) on Saturday before the graduation at Claim Jumper. Love that place! Won't be great on the pocketbook but I will only graduate college once. :)

So, I suppose I had more to talk about then I thought.....I'm off to do homework!

Your Gall Bladder

Does anyone really know what our gall bladders are for without looking it up online? Neither did I until it became an issue...a painful issue that comes and goes as it pleases. Ever since I was pregnant with Ethan, I've had these spells that come every so often. My back left shoulder blade will have this unbelievable pain, almost like heartburn but in your back. Nothing specific triggers it, but when I was pregnant and was explaining it to my OB, he said, "Well, that is a common symptom of gall bladder issues but it's normally in your right shoulder blade. But everyone's different - you should have it checked out AFTER the baby is born!" Well, those of us that have had babies know that you have NO time after baby is born to do crap! So, I never had it checked. The spells have started again (well they have been for some time)....and I had one so bad a couple weeks ago, that I finally decided to see a doctor. He is referring me to get an ultrasound after he proceeded to push up under my ribs where your gall bladder is and saw me almost jump off the table at the doctors office. I asked him if they found anything what they would do and he explained the different types of surgeries depending on the severity. Lovely. I'll keep you updated.....

So, back to my original question, does anyone know what your gall bladder does?

The gallbladder's main purpose is to concentrate and store your bile. Bile is a fluid made in the liver that helps you to digest fats in your small bowel (intestine). It is made from cholesterol, water, bilirubin and bile salts. Bilirubin is what gives bile its greenish colour. It comes from the breakdown of used red blood cells. When you eat fatty foods, the fats are broken down (digested) in your stomach and intestines. Your gallbladder is not an essential part of your body. You can live without it. So after having it taken out, you are still able to digest your food.

Well, to that last sentence I say "Thank God"!! I will still be able to eat if I have to have it taken out. :)

Four Day Work Weeks

It sure is nice having holidays off but I despise four day work weeks! It seems that everyone around me is in a panic to get all their work shoved into four days....hello....how much work did you honestly have on a Monday????? That much to stress you out! You knew the holiday was coming - it does every frickin year!! Next time, prepare for it!! Geepers....just RELAX!

Ok....I feel better now.....just had a rough day. HA HA!

Which brings me to my next thought....why don't companies have four 10 hour day work weeks?? If I owned my own company, that is how it would be. But then again, if I owned my own company, I would work whatever hours I wanted. It just seems with a four 10 hour day work week, it would give us so much more time to do the things we love on the weekend....laundry, scrubbing toilets, waxing the car.....

Hmmmm.....just some random thoughts as I have called this blogging thing.....

Graduation Gear

The cap, gown, tassel, and all the other gear arrived today! Reality is starting to set in....not exactly the reality that I will be graduating very soon, but the reality of the student loans that loom in the darkness waiting to be paid! And all I have to say about that is CRAP!! And CONSOLIDATION! :)

Bummin.....

I'm bummed out tonight....tomorrow night, in Las Vegas, Bon Jovi will be performing a one night concert for Tiger Jam at Mandalay Bay. Wonder why I won't be there? Tickets were 300.00+! And that was nose bleed seats....yes, I would normally fork out the money, but I couldn't justify it with the amount of debt I already have. Then, tonight, I find out that Chris Daughtry is opening for Bon Jovi! OMG - I love Chris and his band!!! Since the days of American Idol. I just knew I should have bought the damned tickets....oh well.

On another note, graduation is around the corner. I am trying to decide how to celebrate...lunch at Claim Jumper with family and friends before the ceremony....get together at my house with snacks and finger foods.....drinks after the ceremony (well this will probably happen anyhow :)....I just don't know. Ideas anyone?

I'm off to bed....night all!

Graduation

Wow! I just finished ordering my graduation announcements for college! OMG! Reality is really starting to sink in a little. Four years ago, I made this crazy decision to go back to college for my associates in General Studies (which I received in May of 2005)....but then had another crazy idea...to continue after receiving my associates to get my bachelors. And here I am, almost four years later, preparing for my college graduation!

I ordered my cap and gown about a week ago, but it didn't hit me until I saw the template for the announcement with my name and degree listed. :) I'm super excited!

This ceremony will be a bit odd though....I have been completing college via the online program all four years so I "know" a ton of students through emial communication, but they are scattered all over the world and will likely not be walking in the same ceremony as I. So, when I walk in this ceremony, I will know no one and no one will know me. But the exciting thing is we are all there for the same reason and therefore, we will be supportive regardless of not knowing each other.

The announcements will be mailed out as soon as I receive them! I just realized yesterday that graduation is only 47 or so days away! Geez....time is flying!

So, I am sitting here wondering.....will I be crazy again and continue for my Masters?? I'm thinking I want to so the payments on my student loans don't kick in next year....but I absolutely need a break....so this story may continue....but not until next year!

My First "Real" Blog

Ok, so this is my first blog.....thanks to the MacMillan clan in Hillsboro Oregon who all have blogs, I decided I better join them in this thing called "blogging". To me, it is another way of keeping in touch with this side of my family with whom I love dearly and want to know more about. Reading their blogs makes me feel as if I am that much closer to them!! :) Then, I saw my Aunt Sue is blogging as well....then I knew I had to join!!

So, I hope to continue sharing my daily life as time allows.....by the looks of it, this can get addicting!