New Journey

Well, I have already done what I told myself that I wouldn't, and that's neglect my blog. It has been rather busy around here and my blog has kind of taken a back seat. I'm back on track now, so hopefully I can keep up better.

A lot has happened since my last post - let's see...I have been very busy with my online painting class "All About Faces" with Paulette Insall, I registered my baby for Kindergarten, I have been chosen as a member of the design team at Collective Artwerx, and oh yeah - turned 35.

Probably the most exciting thing that has happened was being chosen as a member of the design team for Tracy Webster's online store Collective Artwerx. I am so excited about this new venture! I saw her posting that she was looking for people to be on her design team. I almost didn't do it thinking that I probably wouldn't get chosen, but I did! I just decided to go for it and it paid off! I cannot wait to get to start designing for her. This is a new creative challenge for me and something that I have dreamed of doing at some point. I just realized that I had to just go for it, put myself out there and see what happens. I am honored to have been chosen for this.

On a much more sad note - I turned 35! The dreaded birthday arrived April 10 way too soon! I have dreaded this one for a long time thinking that it sounded so old! The worst part of it all though, and the worst present ever...I had to sign my baby up for kindergarten that day! What a sad day it was for me because it was hard enough signing my oldest one up for school last year, but now my youngest just makes me realize even more that they grow up way to quickly. I don't know where the time has gone. It seems like all of the sudden they are little girls and not babies anymore!

I did make a revelation to myself, however, regarding my being the big 3 - 5. It hit me that I am now in my mid 30's cruising full speed ahead to 40! Unfortunately, I feel almost robbed of my early 30's. I have had so many health issues that have taken over my life since I was 30, that it all seems like one big giant blur when I look back. I had an emergency hysterectomy two weeks before my 31st birthday, and from that point on, my body has protested immensely! Since then I have been through so many doctors, tests, and health problems that it has been a rough few years. They are still trying to determine a definite diagnosis, but as of now they say I have Sjogren's disease (a form of lupus), severe arthritis, chronic fatigue, chronic mono, fibromyalgia, and a skin disease that they are not sure if it is psoriasis or dermatomyositis. Basically it is all auto immune and it all tends to run together, so making a specific diagnosis is hard to do. All of this gradually started while I was in the hospital recovering from the hysterectomy. To make a very long story short, I realized that I am finally at terms and peace with the way my life is now. So what if I have health issues - I just have to learn to live with them and to adjust my life accordingly. I refuse to let it "rob" me of any more of my life as much as I possibly can. What is important is my family and children who depend on me to be there regardless. I can't succumb to it, and have gotten really good at adjusting my life to everything day by day. I have realized that I will have days or even weeks where I am in a flare and don't feel well, but at least I am still breathing - it could be worse! Anyways....I don't like to talk about my health issues much, so this was another obstacle to overcome and that is facing it and I feel like I have finally done that. Our 30's are supposed to be some of the best years of our lives anyways, right?!



The bluebonnets here in Texas have really been blooming lately. A couple of weekends ago, my parents came up to visit and we stopped on our way back from lunch and snapped a few pics in a beautiful patch of them. It's funny around this time of year, at least some where along the road, you will more than likely see people taking pictures of their little ones in the bluebonnets.