Just an Update

I haven't posted in a while, I really just haven't had the time to sit down and write. I've had lots of ideas, just no time to put into it. I decided I would try to sit down and give a little update on what has been happening in my life recently. If you follow me on Facebook you may have seen that I joined a Physical Therapy Study for hEDS being done at UCA. Unfortunately, I have only been able to participate in one exercise class so far. It was HARD work, but I really enjoyed it and look forward to being able to continue going once I have a reliable vehicle again. In the meantime, I have been trying to get more exercise on my own, by using some of the exercises I learned in that class and by walking. I don't know if anyone else can relate but it is so hard for me to get motivated to exercise by myself. Being able to participate in this study with others that have had similar issues and struggles is amazing! I hope I will have more to tell you about this study in a future post. We've been working on some renovations around the house in our "spare time" (not that we have any spare time, LOL). We are remodeling the kitchen and guest bathroom. We've also had a lot of repairs to make as well. All while converting to Solar Energy ourselves. So far in the kitchen, we have replaced most of the counters and lower cabinets. We've pulled the cabinets and pantry out also. In the guest bathroom, we are replacing the floor, knocking out a wall to make the room larger, and installing a garden tub. We have the supplies needed for the solar, we just need to get the panels on the roof and hook them up. We added a couple of rooms to our house a couple of years ago, one of the rooms we have finished and my oldest is in it now, the other room isn't needed at the moment so it was put to the back burner while we finish more important renovations. Once we finish the current renovations we will move on to finishing that bedroom. We also have a small camper that we plan to use as a base to add another section to the house, it will hold a laundry room, a study/office, and a third bathroom. If you are interested in following along with any of these renovations let me know in the comments. I've been struggling with anxiety again. I've been avoiding the couple of friends I have, avoiding going anywhere, just avoiding everything and everyone. We missed church a few times, a couple of times was because the kids weren't feeling well so we stayed home just in case they were getting sick. Honestly, I was relieved to stay home, then I felt guilty for being relieved. There have been things I'd love to go do, but when I think about I decide not to. Sometimes, I wish I could be different but I try to remind myself that God has a plan for me, I am me for a reason. While I have been struggling with anxiety I have also made some progress. My son is playing Little League Baseball this year, I have done my best to appear confident and speak to other parents at the practices. I've read out loud in our Bible Study class several times, as well as joined in on the discussions. I know that these things may seem normal to some of you, but to me, they are big steps that were not easy to take. I am proud of the progress I've made. In the past speaking out loud in a group setting would have been almost impossible, even when I tried my voice wouldn't get much louder than a whisper or no noise would have come out at all. My oldest is turning 18 in a matter of days and she will be graduating in May. She really is a good kid and has a decent grasp on reality, LOL. I think she will do great things. While I am a little sad that my baby is definitely not a baby anymore, I am excited to see where her life goes from here. I kind of go back and forth over being distraught that my baby is grown up and proud of the woman she is becoming. It truly is crazy how fast time flies by, isn't it? The rest of the kids are doing pretty good also, my middle daughter will be 12 next month. Lots of normal preteen stuff happening, you know, bad attitude, arguing, yelling, etc. I do my best to remember this is a stage and it will get better and that I need to enjoy this stage in her life. I'm sure if you've had a preteen in the house you know what a challenge this can be. Luckily I know from experience this too shall pass and I'll be able to look back and giggle about her bratty attitude. I've been trying to give her some extra attention and sympathizing with the struggles she is having in school and with her behavior. The other middle child finally seems to be losing some of the preteen attitude and is rounding out to a calm (for a 14-year-old) young man. The youngest is doing great. He's been improving on his schoolwork, he loves playing baseball, going to church, and school. He keeps telling me he is ready to be Baptized so I guess I need to get that set up soon. Please share your child-raising/growing-up experiences with me in the comments. I've still been struggling with my joints slipping and sliding. I've had some pretty severe pain issues with my ribs sliding and pressing on nerves. I actually had my Clavicle dislocate a couple of months ago for the first time. If you haven't ever experienced it, I can tell you, you don't ever want to. It was excruciating and scary. My Pelvis and Hips are still sliding around pretty constantly. I've been working on getting stronger, as I mentioned earlier. I'm hoping by building strength I will be better able to keep these problem joints in their places and help with my pain levels. I am still trying to figure out how to keep myself motivated and consistent in all aspects of my life, including exercise. I guess you're pretty much caught up on the life of The Christian Zebra. I have a few ideas for upcoming posts, but if you have a subject you would like to hear my viewpoint on let me know in the comments.