Monkey Memories

I'm sure some people wonder where the "monkeys" came from. Those who know me and my family know we travel alot. Whether it's for military reasons or just personal reasons.  And you should also know we have a bunch of kids. Most people have heard of the travelling gnome.  Well, monkeys sort of suit our family a little better.  And at a birthday party at a bowling alley (in Kansas I do believe), these monkeys were obtained from one of the little machines kids put a quarter or two in and turn the dial.  Yes....I have cheap monkeys which are now priceless to me. 
There are 5 monkeys in our collection. They pretty much cover the personalities that my family members may portray at any given moment (well..not all of the personalities...but these are a good start). Which makes them work even better for us. 
So, since the monkeys have been in our family and have been on many road trips over the past several years, I'm going to do a recap of our family's trips and share some pictures and monkey memories.

*All images are copyrighted by me. They are not to be copied, saved, or used by anyone other than myself.

All the monkeys crossing into Missouri from Arkansas (or vice versa...I don't remember)

Having breakfast in Virginia with my daughter and my stepbrother

Breakfast Buffets are amazing!!! I recall we were leaving Virginia just after this pic was taken. Lots of crying.

At the cabin we rented in Tennessee.

Monkeys will always appear when someone falls asleep in the car

See

Camping at Country Stampede in Kansas.  It's like Woodstock for Country folk...or drunken college kids.

Our most recent road trip......On our way to see the Extreme Makeover Home Edition house in Ottawa Kansas

monkeys in Mississippi.  (i just wanted to type Mississippi.  Try it...it's not that easy you know. Mississippi)

in Tennessee again. Who knew they named their pee spots after famous country singers. Oh well...works for me.

On our way to Nashville.  rock on!!

Dreaming in St Louis.  i always like St Louis. it feels like halfway.

Forget the snow bunnies. We got snow monkeys in Missouri.

actually had KFC in Tennessee...but listening to the customers talk about their neighbors (Alan Jackson) was priceless!!

The important sustenance of any road trip

Don't forget toll road money in Florida!!!

Random daydreaming on the road shot

a few more random pics



And i'll leave you with Lost in Iowa.

Killing Time

We got up early yesterday morning to head out to watch the "reveal" of an Extreme Makeover house. But of course when we got there, it turned out we were about 9 hours too early for the reveal. So, since Extreme Makeover Home Edition is one of our most favorite shows EVER and Ty Pennington is one of my husband's heroes, we went to sign up to volunteer. As luck would have it, anyone under 18 was not allowed to work which meant Marissa couldn't volunteer. And also as luck would have it, I wore sandals instead of closed toe shoes so I wasn't allowed to either. Which was okay. I didn't want Marissa to sit around by herself and be bored for who knows how long.
The house was amazingly beautiful from the outside and I can only imagine what the inside looked like. We weren't allowed inside but gladly listened to my hubby tell us all the amazing details. From the master suite to the themed rooms for the kids.
After my daughter and I sat there for so many hours and the heat just kept getting hotter and hotter, we decided to go eat somewhere in town since hubby was getting fed for free. Then after that, we made a trip to walmart just to kill time. Which turned out to be the theme for the entire day. As much as we were excited about being there and seeing the process and everything that goes on, if you're not actually volunteering or working with this kind of project, all you're going to do is kill time. We spent quite a few hours sitting in the car with the air conditioning running because the other several hours we sat outside in triple digit heat really zaps the energy out of ya.
In the meantime, hubby was living out a dream. He'd met Ty and the design team. He'd been filmed to be on the show. Ty took a pic with him. I can say I'm jealous that I didn't get to meet Ty, but I'm more thrilled that my hubby did get to.

Later that evening, we fought a massive crowd to see the reveal. The limo pulled through, the bus moved. Then they did it again.....and again....and again....So apparently they rehearse this stuff alot. lol FINALLY we got to see Ty and the rest of the design team from a distance and they did the actual reveal. The phrase my daughter and I kept using was "mass confusion" because the crowd was just clueless about what was going on, as were we. But it was still awesome to see. You just have to keep in mind that they are filming a tv show. So, it doesn't play out in real life like it does on TV. they have to make it look that way.
But what an amazing experience to get to witness and be involved in something like that.

Busy, busy, and my worst critic

Summer vacation has been hectic so far to say the least. I've been doing something pretty much every day, including weekends. I have also started my photography classes. I've had some thoughts lately about my goals in life. I used to think it was great to know a little bit about alot of things. When in actuality, I should have stuck with one thing and learned alot about the one. Granted it's helpful to know about alot of things. But I feel like maybe I don't complete anything. And now that I'm doing the photography thing, I don't want people to think it's just a passing phase. I don't want to be treated like I'm not serious about it or professional. Maybe I'm just worrying for nothing. I do have alot of people who like my work. But I am always comparing myself to others that, granted, do have more experience and are seasoned veterans in the field. It's just frustrating sometimes and I really am my own worst critic.
But I am to the part of the classes that it's starting to be more hands on. Less technical and more creative. Well, actually it is technical...but there's more to it now. I've got to set my goals and really buckle down. it's been hard to keep on the daily routines with so many other things going on lately. I just need to focus.
There's my vent for the night. I think it's time to give it up and get some sleep. Lots of homework to get to tomorrow.
Later taters

I'm back ....and a re-cap

So, I'm back. I noticed it's been almost a year. So much has been going on since then. (this is where you say...no duh! lol) So...let's do a re-cap shall we?
I got a job working for the school district. My stepkids came to live with us for the school year. My husband came home from deployment. We've done alot of travelling. My husband and I both have had lots of health problems.
So, now, the stepkids will be going back to their mom because the school year is almost over (we're down to two weeks. BOO!!!!). I've enrolled in classes for the next year. And our general life right now is just to "be". We make it day to day.
I wrote a note (which should have been a blog on here) back in February. It was about learning how to deal with my husband having ptsd. And I wish I had blogged it here because I have to admit, I felt so much better after posting it. And I really want to talk more about this in future blogs (this is my therapy now).
We're still learning how to adapt to the ptsd. We're so much more open now. We communicate more. Even though we're having a hard time learning how to express ourselves...we're at least getting it out there. This coming from me who's always been she-who-hides-her-feelings. I still have a hard time expressing them in the correct manner (ie...saying things the right way at the right time). At least now I don't feel like every argument and disagreement will end in some horrible traumatic ending. (I apparently have issues with that) lol And, as my husband puts it, I am "authorized to have feelings". Sounds very clinical in an army issue sort of way, doesn't it? LOL He does listen. ;)
I've also had another health thing come up that's been life changing. I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis (which was a given), osteoporosis, and peripheral vascular disease with intermittent claudication. MEANING: The arthritis means my joints are shot. It's all sports related and just basic wear and tear on my body. The osteoporosis, they found when I had an elevated level of calcium in my bloodwork. The peripheral vascular disease, aka really bad circulation, is caused by the calcium (and probably cholesterol) building up in my veins which cause the intermittent claudication (seriously wicked pain). In a nut shell....the more my blood pumps through my veins, the worse the pain is. So, the more I walk the more pain I have. To get rid of the osteoporosis, I need to exercise. To exercise I need the blood flowing. To get the blood flowing, I have pain. I'm screwed. LOL
Not completely. I was told I can do resistance exercises. Not sure how well that works on getting rid of all this extra weight I've put on the past couple years. But, eh...it's worth a shot. I'm definitely wanting to get back into yoga. I feel like I say this over and over but never commit to doing anything about it all. I've seriously had a reality check after all this though. I have to wear these support leggings when I'm on my feet alot. Which really sucks most of the time. But they do help with the pain. Now I have really bad spider veins and varicose veins in my legs. Which remind me of my grandmother. She had vascular thrombosis or something like that. Whatever it was...it looks horrible. And I keep thinking I'm never going to look young again. Am I ever going to feel any better than this? Will it just get worse from here? It's very depressing actually. And I think that's where my lack of motivation comes in. I feel like I'm caught in a catch 22 and can't win for losing. All this before I even make an effort. Loser. lol
So...back to the blogging. I need this as a therapeutic way to vent and voice my thoughts. Since I seem to be able to type it out better than say it. ;)

Kids, Workouts and Bags of frozen veggies

1:48 am
Why on Earth am I still awake? I'm tired. Oh yes. I would love to go to sleep. But this little brain of mine has been turned on and hasn't stopped since.
One reason it's turned on, I'm so excited to say, my stepkids are coming to stay with us for school this next year. They are so excited. My daughter is so excited. I'm so excited. And their dad.....ecstatic!!! We've missed them so much. So, it's a great thing.
But this great thing means I have alot of work to do over the next couple weeks getting their rooms ready (which we have partially used for storage over the past year since they were here). So, I've got some organization to do. Some furniture to move...upstairs...downstairs. Lots to do.
Not to mention, I'm on a workout kick right now. I am one of the brave souls to attempt P90X. We've owned the program for quite a while. And this is my third attempt at starting it (never making it through the first week the last two times due to one reason or another).
This time, however, I am now on week 3. The "weight" isn't drastically dropping. I've lost maybe 5 pounds depending on the day and time of day I weigh. The inches...I haven't done full measurements yet, but my clothes are fitting a little better. People have noticed that I seem to be losing weight. So, I am motivated. I want to have dropped at least 20 pounds by the time Charles comes home from deployment.
It's doable. I can do this!!! I'm so gonna....bring it!!!
The biggest challenge I'm having right now isn't time, or the motivation. It's my knees. Several years ago, I am proud to say, I was a brown belt kickboxer. Something that made me hold my head very high. Still does. I was proud of all I accomplished being a kickboxer. Then, I got hurt. Rolled my ankle causing a severe sprain and injured my knee. After that injury and being on crutches for 6 weeks, I became "gun shy". I never quite got back into it again like I had before. Which makes me sad. Makes me feel like a quitter. And so, I moved on with my life and things changed.
So, now that I'm doing the extreme workout, my knees have been hurting badly. And I even spent a couple nights with them propped up and bags of frozen vegetables on my knees.
On my last doctor's appointment I mentioned the pain during workouts and asked what I could possibly do to help strengthen my knees, etc. The doc checked them out and told me I have arthritis.
Now if that isn't something to make you feel old. He said it's not an "age" related arthritis. It's a "mileage" arthritis due to sports or extensive use. (I can't remember the medical term he called it) He said it was most likely due to the kickboxing and the injury. So...I now have a wonderful cream to use on my knees 3 times a day. I still have some knee pain when I work out or if I don't use the cream. But its just one of those things I'm learning to deal with. And I'm making modifications to my workouts and not doing as many or as intensive lunges, squats, etc. No plyometrics or excessive jumping for me now. Which is okay. I'll make the adjustments. It can be done.
So, now that I've rambled, I've noticed I unconsciously have turned on Lord of the Rings as my late-night-can't-sleep-need-a-familiar-something in the background. Charles makes fun of me for watching it so much. But I can't help it. lol I can't explain it. It's comforting.
I also have my water fountain going and the whir of the ceiling fan, you would think I have enough background noise/white noise to knock me into oblivion.

So, with that, I'm going to attempt sleep. Lots to do tomorrow. It's a CardioX day tomorrow too. ;)

later ya'll

The Passing Technology and What to Call It

We all have tons of online accounts, and emails, user names, passwords and the like. So, when I decided to set up this blogspot, who knew I would go completely blank trying to come up with a "title" and an http address. Most of the "usernames" i have from the past are...precisely...from the past. So, to come up with a "new" name that reflects who I am today took some serious thinking. Why do I make this such a big deal? It's like naming a pet. It's something that's gotta be catchy and easy to remember. Not to mention it needs to "describe" a personality that I want to portray. Ooh think, think think. And it's 1 am and thinking at this time of night can be sketchy, to say the least. So, tomorrow I may feel that Laughing Through This Crazy Life is completely stupid and I'll try to figure out if it can be changed or if I'll have to delete it all and start over. Which is completely fine since I have no followers as of yet.
So, speaking of, I found this blog site from a few friends who blog here. I used to blog. But of course on a site that no one ever uses now. Then on to another site that, of course, no one uses either. So, now I'm on to my third site for blogging. I just need to figure out how to use all the little gagdets and such on here. And how to link it back to my facebook.
Facebook is my lifeline at this point of my life. It used to be yahoo 360. then myspace. Now, its facebook. I refuse to give in to the twitter phase. facebook is enough for me thanks.

So, here we go. A place for my thoughts, stories, anecdotes (did i spell that right?), and maybe a few random vents. And I say random because the medication has helped with that these days. HAHA
The best thing in life is sharing yourself with others. Especially when you can laugh at yourself. And to have others laugh with ya is just a great feeling!

Okay enough for now. Gotta figure out this whole thing tomorrow when my brain isn't so fuzzy.