Life as we know it...

It has been forever since I posted, life has been very crazy in many ways so here is a quick over view We have moved twice (in 2012) Gavin and Cache have been baptized Gavin has moved from regular scouts to be a "New" Boy Scout Jay quit the Local Pages and worked for a car dealership named Outfitters Jay then quit Outfitters and returned to the Local Pages Kaelee is in High School and playing varsity Volleyball and Softball Makenzie is in Jr. High and is very active in sports Gavin had moved to the big bad Middle School And Cache is every entertaining at Hibbard Elementary That probably doesn't begin to cover the changes that have happened but that is a quick summary. Now the reason for this Monumental post Life as we know it has been turned up side down. Jay has started a new job driving truck for the oil fields in North Dakota. He leaves for two weeks and then should be home for two weeks. So basically I'm a single parent for 50% of the time. I know this sounds awful but the facts are that most men work Monday thru Friday and are very busy in between. So really the general public has 104 days of family time (52 weekends). So if everything works out my family will have about 182ish days together. So this all sounds great and wonderful but I'm scared to death. Yup I can put on a super big smile and say "this is a huge blessing for my family" and in most respects mean it, but then there is the great big monster inside of me that is scared of doing this life alone 182ish days a year. So now that you know my dirty little secret here goes I'm going to keep track of my families journey at least once a week, why you might ask (or probably not but you'll get the answer)because I need a way of tracking our monumental joy and our failures. Have you ever taken the time to look back over the last 20 years or so, well I do and I have come to see that I can learn a few things from my past and maybe learn to laugh. Such as the day Kaelee was 2 and decided that she need to put a full bottle of lotion on the dog and her then hide in my closet; this day I felt like a terrible mom but today I look back and miss the fun I had with my two year olds. Other things I have learned that even though trials look impossible and never ending when your going through them, really they only last a short time and we all grown so much. One trial specifically stands out, the day I was told Gavin would never lead a normal life because of his asthma. I remember bawling and storming out of the Doctors office. I then went to many other Doctors until I found one who said Gavin could do anything he wanted to. This weekend I watched my amazing son play a full game of football both ways and never sat down. Not only can he play football he is very gifted and is awesome to watch. So I plan to keep track of all things here at the Fuller Family Blog as they happen so I can laugh and cry over them, and look back when I need to. Stay tuned for the craziness because Life as we know it has changed; but good or bad here we come.

Pumkins

this is out of order but here are the kids pumkins

Thanks giving

On Tuesday Jay had to go to work even though most of the roads were closed and some how I got talked into riding with him. Hmmm what exactly could the sick woman do to help in an emergency? I don't know but after many panic attacks we made it safety to Pocetello (Thank heavens for 4 wheel drive, and my husbands amazing driving skills) Jay did his work thing and then we headed home. I was so sick from everything I was shaking and having muscle spasms. What an adventure!

Wednesday came and I still had not cooked anything so the bake off began. The kids each got to pick something reasonable that they needed to feel like it was Thanksgiving and I tried my best to make it happen.
Cache wanted buffalo (yeah right)
2nd choice jello
Gavin cranberry drink
he got red cool aid
Makenzie mom's homemade stuffing
she got it on Saturday
Kaelee mom's cheese cake
nailed that one
Jay's request not to kill myself cooking

I ended up making over 120 rolls for the BIG JENKINS FAMILY dinner
I made 2 apple pies (1 ot keep 1 to take)
2 pumpkin pies ( 1 to keep 1 to take)
1 Banana creme pie (for Jay)
1 Pumpkin cheese cake (not so good)

It took me many hours to put everything together and on Thursday I felt like crud, so for our turkey for sandwiches I put in a turkey roast in the crock pot. I literally did not have enough energy to stuff a turkey and get it in the oven, and Makenzie was appalled at the idea of Jay doing it.

The BIG family dinner went ok. We met Jeanie (no clue how to spell her name) I was sick when I got there and half way through dinner all of the lights and 20 conversations made me nauseous. My hands were not working and I had muscle spasms from my elbows down. I was in tears (so very embarrassing) I didn't dare go downstairs or up because I was afraid I wouldn't have the ability to get back up I was that ill. So my dear sweet husband took me home to a very quite house. The kids had a ball staying and playing with all of the cousins and to Gavin's great joy Jeanie has a grandson his age so he had someone to play with that was not a girl.

We survived Thursday and Jay took all the kids sledding to the Sand dunes on Saturday. I hate sending the Family off to do something fun without me, but if I went I knew I would need to come home long before they were ready. I am so very thankful for all Jay is doing for me and the kids right now. He doesn't complain even though he had 10 time the stress right now. I got some energy and surprised the kids and Jay with a small version of Thanksgiving dinner when they got home. They were all very happy.

So Thanksgiving at the Fullers 2010 was kinda pathetic, but we learned we can survive and the best thing is we all survived together.

the sand dunes
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Sorry the pics are bad the camera wouldn't work so Jay had to use his phone!

things I am thankful for....

Ok I know it is a little cheesy to do this but I just gotta for my own sake. Ya see with my new meds I am having a hard time being or feeling happy, and then it is hard to be thankful for anything. So here goes...
I am thankful for..

My husband
(No I know this is a given but did I mention my bad moods, extreme cravings, and sick stomache where nothing tastes good. Well my sweet husband went and bought me a soda at 8pm last night got home and It just tasted bad for me so at 9:30pm he went and got me a 20 pack of cans, 2 litters, and another fountain just so somthing would taste good. Then at 1am he got up and made me potstickers because I was starving. yeah He is a pretty good guy1)

My kids
(This one is tough becuase my kids are great, but with my "New Personality" I have a hard time being around anyone. Gavin came up and hugged me "just cause", Cache offered to watch a movie with me "and I wont touch you mom" I hurt all over you see, Makenzie does EXTRA chores to help out and does them extra good so I don't have to worry, and Kaelee she puts up with me! She gets alot put on her shoulders and she hardly ever complains and ignores me pretty good when I yell! ya gotta love that talent)

Ok here is a stretch I am thankful for my "New med" because eventually they will make me healthier!

My Zuckie Dog
(She cuddles with the best and makes me get moving)

My small house
(I couln'd handle anything bigger right now and it keeps all my family close)

My fabric stash
(so I can mess around and not worry about wasting money)

My saintly friends
(In the last week I called one friend and just bawled as my hair began to fall out, anouther friend spent an hour talking about 13 year olds not judging my endless bad parenting, and one friend just called to say hi not knowing she made my day. I have so many friend who stick with me and I realize that right now I am hard to like!)

My computer
(It is seriously my escape from reality, I don't have to think I can just click through pretty, happy pictures, and know why the world is great!)

My bed
It has become my heaven and hell in one. I have a place to go and have quite, and my pillows catch many tears and laughter. One day I will be able to make my bed and have it last all day. I can't wait!

Snow
I love snow it is just a happy thing!

Rain
I love the atmosphere a good grey day makes, it makes it ok to curl up and stay in.

Sidewalks
For someone who has lived in the country most of my life the well maintained sidewalks are heaven.

Ok so I am running out of things for the moment. If it sounds like I am depressed I probably am, but I am so thankful for what I have. I have been told many, endless times all of the things I would never have and never be able to do. I have proven I can achieve anything I set my mind too and so making it through this dose of drugs is one more thing. I may end up bald, grumpy, and in pain but I will be here with my family! They really are the best in the whole world.

I hope everyone has as many things to be thankful for as I do, I realize that there are days when it is difficult to find anything to be thankful for, and on those days I find that I can truely be thankful for the challenges and trials because I am here to have them and they were chosen just for me, by someone who loves me and knows what I need.

Clean up

Ick, Ick, Ick, and more Ick. Now the first night all that hair paint and face paint made a mess in both bathrooms so I tried to limit it to one on Saturday but oh my, oh my I still have black finger prints all over the house! We discovered the quickest way to remove outdoor acrylic craft paint form skin is to smear a lot of Vaseline on first and then begin wiping with a wash cloth. When I say fast each kid worked for over an half an hour to remove the KISS mask! The hair paint was comical it took lots of baking soda to strip it all out of the three kids hair and even more deep conditioning to make their hair not feel like straw! Gavin on Sunday I suggested we go trick or treat some friend and he said, "Heck no MOM!"

More pics

The KISS costumes

So the kids have been planning this since last year! Jay has been trying to talk them into this since Cache was born. This is one group costume that worked pretty good because they still looked good by themselves when they were at school. Gavin refused to paint his face for school so he went as a pirate, Kaelee's costumes was not done in time for school so she was a witch. So here is the story of the costumes the good the bad and the ugly.

First I had great plans of making boots, and multiple pieces for each kid, and buy wigs. So to do this JoAnn fabrics was having a sell that started on a Sunday and all Halloween Fabric was 50% off. So Jay and I got up early and went to IF (I know we are awful) and spent $35 of fabric I cleaned of the bolt of every one of my fabrics. Next I had to figure out how to make these costumes because I did not like any of the patterns I found. Then I got sick, got behind in school, and oh yeah tried to edit patterns in the middle. How dumb can one mom be? I'll let you know next year! So first I tackled Gavins leather jacket because I thought this would be the hardest! It turned out great! Makenzie sacrificed her favorite leggings to her costume and one of her black shirts I just cut out the fabric and wonder undered it all on. The silver fabric was a pain to say the least. Kaelee's wings came next as I tried to blend my ideas with Jay's (Husband shouldn't get an opinion in stuff like this) but we do work well together and Kaelee's wings turned out pretty darn good although her spikes didn't want to stay on. Oops Cache reminded me that I had not started his the morning of his party so I started what I thought would be the easiest (the alien). Those darn discs were difficult. Jay called me in the middle and I was bawling, but it all worked out and Cache told his teacher, "Yeah my mom just did this this morning," glad he thinks I can do anything! Oh yeah the makeup everyone told me not to worry so much about the clothes but to worry about the makeup. First we started with Halloween costume makeup and it smeared and I couldn't get lines very sharp so then I went and bought (don't judge) out door acrylic craft paint. The outdoor stuff stayed shinny. Friday night at the carnival it took Jay and I 2 hours to apply the paint, I am proud to Say on Saturday with all four kids we got it down to 1 1/2 hours. So here are my best pics......