Thuuuuuuuursday.....

Early morning TV watching... LOL ....

So today I had to take DB and Cal to the college, drop them off ... go and get Elly from Pre-School, go wait at my Mom's work so that I could give her Elly so that when she got off work they could make their WIC appt (Elly is done with school at 1pm, Mom was done with work at 1:30om and then had to be at WIC at 2pm) .... Then after dropping off Elly we went home, then went to get Cal, came back, then after an hour or so went and got DB ... Then we did some running and then came home and pretty much both died.... on the spot.... 

Anyway - here is Kaedyn walking Elly to the van after school.  She was so excited to see him - Nonna was chopped liver, it was all about her Bubba .... she adores this boy and he adores her....  only more so in smaller doses these days... LOL ....

In the van waiting for Nana to get done, Bubba was playing her videos to entertain her ....

I.is.bored.   So I Snapchat filter myself..... 

When I went to go pick up DB, this is what I saw at the end of our driveway ... what I was tryng to get was the way the sun was gleaming off the air carriers .... but couldn't see them through the trees.  You can definitely see the Bremerton Bottle Neck in full force though ...

So after getting back home, and dying - we were watching Celebrity Big Brother only I didn't realize that my cat was the true star of the show!!! 

This I just love... LOL...  Alyvia and the moon (on TV)

And then here is Joy in front of my computer monitor ..... 

But seriously .....  active and my fibro are like oil and water - they won't mix. 

Off to Seattle We Go ....

We left crazy early in the morning ... Nana and Elly took us over to Seattle for Nathan Pre-Op appointment ...

I adore being by the water.  LOVE it...  I am a true Cancer and I love to watch the water...  I have no issues being on the water.  I love it. 

(These were taken while waiting for the Kingston/Edmond's ferry .... )

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We got to Children's and took a potty break before heading to the appointment .... I hung out with the Muskrats, I mean Rugrats....

We got taken back... Nathan is 52.9 lbs and 4ft 1.8 in.  (He was 52.3lbs and 4ft 1.7in on December 20th, the appt prior to that on December 7th ... he was 4 ft and a half an inch and 52lbs ...)  He doesn't gain well, but he never has...  however he IS gaining still ...

Nathan's not crying or upset, he's bored... LOL ... and trying to stay away from Elly because she annoys him for the most part.  He doesn't know how to handle her screaming or her touching him with his Autism and sensory issues.... 

We got slated for Monday - to get the blasted G-Tube site closed - FINALLY.  It's only been a big hole open in his belly for 6 months now...   YAY...  and it'll be our very first outpatient surgery! No overnight (or three) in the hospital!

On the way home when we were on the ferry  .... 

Katie found her way up on top of the highest point in my room (she's like an inch if even from the ceiling ...) ...  and then Joy copied....

I came home and just kinda crashed .... got a long day tomorrow too - but doesn't start AS early as today .... 

First Day-Venture of the Year!

Since we couldn't go yesterday, we ended up going today ... to Port Gamble and Point No Point.  No regrets, but probably not the best idea considering out by the water things are colder, and windy ....

Well, today was COOOOOOLDER and WINDY and whipped right into the fibers of every layer you had on....  but the water was pretty, and we managed to have some fun....

Nana and Papa had an appt and we ended up swinging by to pick up Miss El.  She was super excited ... she misses us a lot, she has lived with us for most of her life and so we represent home...  so she's always asking to go home with us.  It breaks my heart when I have to tell her no (because there is a hard and heavy CPS case going on right now with her parents, not with us - just want to make that clear.  Currently my Mom & Step-Dad have custody of her.  Because of things that have happened, she's only allowed to be at my Mom & Step-Dad's to sleep and most of the time.)

So anyway ....

It was Popi (DB), Nonna (me), Cal & Tina, and Elly.   This was supposed to be our big first outing of the year as a family, but Noah hasn't been feeling well at all, and Kaedyn was up ALL NIGHT (thank you insomnia) and Nathan was - I think, at best - up and down all night....

So we decided to let them all stay home to sleep.  Noah knew ...  the boys, not so much.   Kaedyn was ANGRY when he woke up and found out we left without him.  I was all - you didn't fall asleep until 6 AM!!

But it was.... what it was.  We had fun ... and for the full pictures, go check out our Adventures Blog, which is still a huge work in progress, but it's progressing... lol....

PORT GAMBLE IN WINTER

Here are a few of my favorite pictures of the day .....

These are the mountains (Olympic Mountains) as we were going out of town ....

My favorite place in Port Gambvle....   the Walker-Ames House... 

Inside the General Store, the second floor is a bit of a show-and-tell area with various neat things...  this is Elly looking down to the first floor (the store area) and watching people.  To me, she looks just .... older in this picture.  She looks like she's five or something.... ugh....

I had a Chewbaca sighting!!!!

Elly outside watching the water.... 

I adore this photo of her (below)

Tina and I....

We (or at least I) considered not going out to Point No Point because of how bone chilling the wind was. But I'm glad we did ....  I'm always glad ... LOL...

You can also read and see more on my Adventures Blog ....

POINT NO POINT IN WINTER

Cal & Tina

Point No Point

A tired Elly .... lol... 

And then to close off the night, there was of course the Super Blood Wolf Moon Lunar Eclipse... 

You can also read and see more on my Adventures Blog ....

SUPER BLOOD WOLF MOON LUNAR ECLIPSE

DB ... LOL...  he's such a ...  I love him... LOL... 

HAPPY 2019!!! And Goals....

 So I teeter between the philosophy of ...

WHY ONLY MAKE RESOLUTIONS ON THE FIRST OF EVERY YEAR?  If you are really committed to them, why not any other time of the year?

and ...

WHY NOT?

So I tend to call them "goals" instead of resolutions .....  and it's good to start a year with a list of goals?  Right? 

RIGHT!!!  Just agree with me, it's easier .... just ask my husband. 

These were my GOALS for 2018.....   after, in red, I'll admit to how I did (or we did) .... 

#1: Keep the streak going of keeping Nathan non-admitted! We are 2 1/2 years out from him being in the hospital for any kind of hospital stay, this includes for surgery.  Which is AMAZING.  We're going to keep this up and keep this kid healthy!  We made it 3 years and a couple months, because Nathan had to have surgery this fall to remove baby teeth, fix some teeth, and to do a gum graph prior to him getting braces. While he didn't get SICK and be in the hospital - it was still a hospital stay.  We're also not starting a new countdown because we know he has another surgery coming up - if he doesn't stay over night from that one, we'll start the countdown up from the last one.  LOL 

#2: I want DB and I to really make more time for him and I.  A monthly date.  Really need it.  It would be amazing if we could really make this happen.  I'm going to start keeping track of it and trying to set one day a month aside for just him and I...  Frankly we just couldn't afford it and probably can't afford it this year either.  BUT it is something we really want to do and need to make time and effort to make a priority.  Sadly it's just not a priority over rent, bills, food on the table, and the health needs of the household..... so yeah....  

#3: I want read at least 12 books this year.  That's one a month.  I don't get a lot of time to read, and I've been making it more of a point to really get back into reading. I set this up for two a month plus two last year and I think I read 3 books total all year.  You'd think I would have easily made this happen.  Oye.  This is sad and I don't even want to admit this .... but........ I read ONE book the whole year.  And it was a book I started reading in the summer of 2017.  Yeah.  That's pretty effing bad.  I used to read a book a week and now it's just like ... I got so much on my plate and so much that I'm doing and I all ....... :::sigh:::  I want to read.  It's like trying to find the money to carve out for dates! LOL 

#4: Polish the book that was finished, and figure out what I want to do with it.  Still need to do this...  NEED to make this happen.  I did't ....  I don't even think I've really looked at that book since I finished it.  Horrible author I am.  I am no good at polishing .... I need someone to do it for me. 

#5: Be part of the #365Project of sharing at least one photo a day.  I'm doing it on Facebook and Instagram (and Twitter because Instagram posts to my Twitter.)  I think I'll add it to my Google+ too. (I'll have to catch up there though) .... I still want to do this.  I really do, just one year I want to do this.  BWAHAHAHHAAHAHAHHAHAAHAHHAHAHHAA .... nope, fail, big fat ugly fail..

#6: I REALLY want to write at least one blog a day. I know I have said this the past couple of years, and I fully intend to, but then life runs away and ... ugh.  I stop.  But blogging is literally my main form of therapy.  I have to purge my feelings.  My blog isn't a "working" blog.  It's not about making money, it's JUST about sharing my life and being able to look back on my blog for the memories.  If you happen to follow along, great!  I know this is probably unrealistic ... especially after coming off of such a bad year of blogging.  So..... I am going to call this a success if I can blog 15 days a month.  That would be a starting point.  I do .... I do want to write ONE NEW BLOG A DAY ... across any of my blogs.  Won't happen though....  nope.  I need to accept this fact....  

#7:Make new friends.  Um........ I guess I've done this?  

#8: Need to get some of my health issues more under control, maybe if I do that - I'll feel a lot better over all and I want to continue this!  I am about the same, maybe a smidge worse..... 

#9: Lose weight.  I was under 200lbs and now I'm over again, I hate it.  Thank you insulin!  I want to lose it again.  I still want to lose weight - so I'm hoping we can do a YMCA membership, this would be good for everyone. Definitely ALWAYS a goal.... 

#10: We need to do family game night and family movie night more often.  We've fallen out of practice.  I would like to see us doing both once a week, but I'd settle for one or the other each week.   Yes we do and we made it a few nights last year but not a regular thing.  This year, we're going to make it regular <3 

#1: Spending more time as a family.  If this be family movie night or family game night or getting out and doing some exploring as a family, even if it's free or only costs gas and lunch....  we're going to do things as a family.  PERIOD.

#2: I want DB and I to really make more time for him and I.  A monthly date.  Really need it.  It would be amazing if we could really make this happen.  I'm going to start keeping track of it and trying to set one day a month aside for just him and I...  Even if this is one night that we just have a SAH-Date .... (stay-at-home date) ...  it's hard to do with him being in college and all the boys and MEH but ..... I don't want us to suffer. 

#3: I want read at least 12 books this year.  That's one a month.  This is an amazing want.  And it's true, I DO want to read more.  But I'm going to decrease this and say .... I want to read TWO books this year, and if I read more, GREAT!  (Children's -elementary- books don't count)

#4: Really work hard on the current book! I'm currently starting chapter 10 and I would REALLY love to have this one done by the end of the year.  I am really proud of this one and honestly, this is the FIRST book I've ever actually been proud of. 

#5: Start to meditate and maybe start yoga.  Something I can do by myself, on my bed ..... or find a spot on the floor. 

#6: I REALLY want to write something every day.  It can be a blog, notes in my writers journal, the book, or a insightful FB post, I want to write SOMETHING each day .... 

#7:Make new friends.  This is always a good goal ....

#8: Need to get some of my health issues more under control .... and be more active.

#9: Lose weight.  I was under 200lbs and now I'm over again, I hate it.  Thank you insulin!  I want to lose it again.  I still want to lose weight - so I'm hoping we can do a YMCA membership, this would be good for everyone. Definitely ALWAYS a goal....

#10:  Wanderlust .......... kinda addressed this one in the first goal.  But this one is a little different.  I want to go on a family adventure once a month, which could be local and free .....  but I want to take one weekend, anytime through the year, and spend a weekend, not at home, with my husband and just my husband.  Just one get-away... just the two of us.  <3

Most of them are the same as 2018 ....  but there are some changes!  <3

We didn't do much, and this year I didn't do the annual drunk kids photos ....  this was the first year they all stayed up past midnight...   and we could hear the fireworks going off in Seattle at the Space Needle.... 

We literally just had a very low key night.  We had spaghetti for dinner ....  (or "Noodles & Sauce" as we call it.) ....

I pet battled the night away .....

Got my midnight kiss!!!

And that was pretty much it!  <3 

So from our family to yours.......... HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!